Dreams
by Sheankelor
Summary: Meeting in dreams, Severus and Harry formed a friendship that would span across the years. When they figure out who the other truly is, how will this affect their relationship and the end of the war? Cannon compliant until 5th yr. Time-travelish Eventually HP/SS.
1. Upon a Dream

_AN: This was written as a gift for Lizzy0305. I told her of the bunny that was never going to be typed, she pleaded so nicely, that I opted to do so. That said ... if this is choppy feeling, has loopholes galore, or anything like that ... just suspend your reality for a while. I will completely understand that this might not be your cuppa tea, so if not, thanks for stopping by. _

_Yen was nice enough to take this one under her wing once again and made me fill in a few of those loopholes as smooth out a bit of that choppiness. Thanks, dear. _

_As to how often it will be released - depends on too many things. Just know that it already has 7 chapters roughed out and will have at least 3 more. _

_Enjoy_

_Ree_

Upon a Dream

ō.ō&ö.ö

"Who are you? Nevermind. Where did you come from?" Severus snapped, frowning at the small pyjama clad black-haired boy who was currently staring around him. The eager way those bright green eyes behind those clunky glasses took in his bedroom made him uneasy, peering at the shabby chest of drawers and the rickety desk before sliding over the walls that desperately needed paint and then finally stopping at his bed.

Finally, those eyes looked at him. Severus tightened the belt of his dressing gown that had just appeared over his nightshirt.

"Where am I?"

Folding his thin arms over his chest, Severus glared at the boy the way his father did him. "You are in my room. Now, where did you come from and why are you in here?"

Try as he might, Severus couldn't remember seeing this boy from anywhere before. Watching him stand in the middle of his room looking around and judging his belongings irked him.

Pushing a hand through his untidy hair, Harry smiled slightly. "It is a nice room. It is bigger than my cupboard - I mean, my room. That is where I thought I was – my room. Uncle shut the door and I laid down to get some sleep. There's not much else to do in there. The light is broken."

He walked over towards the chest of drawers and stared at it in awe. "You have drawers... I have a shelf, Aunt said it was for everything I needed. A whole shelf for me, but you … you have _drawers._"

He turned abruptly towards the desk, his eyes coursing over the rough scarred surface. He didn't comment on it but moved over near the bed, his hand hovering over the foot board. "Can I touch it?"

Severus rolled his eyes, a part of him uneasy at the awe shining out of that thin face. Was this a dream? He knew he had gone to bed already; he remembered crawling under those thin blankets the other kid was now staring at. "It's just a bed. Of course you can touch it. I'm sure yours is better."

Most people's beds were better. He knew his family was not as well off as others.

The boy's fingers touched the wooden rail carefully as he spoke. "No, I don't have a bed, not like this. One won't fit in my room. My bed is on the floor."

Severus frowned. The boy didn't have a bed or a chest of drawers? Was his room really in a cupboard? Was this a dream to remind him that he was still better off than others? He knew that – Father reminded him often enough, but it was hard to remember when the other children at the playground picked on his clothes and where he lived.

Harry turned about, his green eyes shining happily, his hands tucked behind his back. "Thank you. What do you want to do? Can we colour? Do you have any crayons?"

His happy look faded to a worried look. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."

Severus stalked over to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a small box of worn down crayons. "Here, you've seen my room, draw me yours. It's only fair."

Accepting the paper, Harry looked in awe at the number of crayons, eight in total, before sinking down onto the floor. Laying the paper down on the wooden floorboards, he gingerly picked up the brown one to start drawing his room. He started with the ceiling, the undersides of the stairs, and then sketched the odd shaped door and the shelves. He wasn't the best artist, but the image was coming out okay.

Severus stared down at the picture that was forming, his eyes widening. The boy's room _was _a cupboard. The one under the stairs of a two storey house if he was right. Sitting next to the black-haired boy, he started asking about what was in the picture.

ō.ō&ö.ö

Severus rolled over on his bed and saw the black-hair boy who had visited him three days ago in his dreams, still wearing the same blue striped pyjamas. "Why are you back?"

The boy dropped onto the floor, sitting cross legged, his fingertips drawing senseless patterns on the bare floorboard. "It is funner here than back there."

"Funner? Not funner - more fun. Say it right!" Severus glared down at the boy. His mother would never let him get away with such bad English.

Green eyes peeked up, astonished. "It is more fun here than back there?"

Severus nodded. "Good," he said before letting out a sigh. "What is your name? If you are going to pop up regularly, I have to call you something. I'm Severus."

"Se-ve-rus? Can I call you Sev?" The boy leaned back on his hands, smiling up at him. "Oh, I am called Harry."

Severus shook his head. "No, you can't call me Sev. It is _Severus._ Did someone shorten your name?"

Harry shrugged. "Don't know. Aunt told me it was Harry the day before I went to primary school. Most of the time I am called by ... other things."

Severus studied him for a long moment before quirking up the side of his mouth in a half smile. "Someone most likely shortened it. So, do you think it might be Harold or Harrison?"

The Harrison he knew was a bully at his school so Severus hoped Harry wouldn't pick that name.

Harry frowned, obviously considering the choices. "I think I like Harold. It feels nice. Harold and Severus. They go together well. Not too many S's."

Severus huffed and rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to argue though, it wasn't Harrison. "How are you in classes?"

Harold gave Severus a long look. "I'm okay, my cousin is… better." The last part sounded forced.

"Are you year one or year two?" Severus swung his feet to the floor and stood up.

"Year two." Harold watched as Severus settled next to him. "What year are you?"

A small smile curled Severus' lips. "I am also in year two, and I am near the top of my class. If you keep visiting, I might as well help you get better."

He barely registered the fear that flashed over Harold's face as he started in on what they had learned in class earlier today.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"I don't understand it! It is not making any sense to me at all!" Harold slammed his pencil down on the Math workbook lying on the floor in front of him.

"Harold, it is simple. Just do it like I showed you and you will come out with the right answer." Severus leaned forward, pointing to his example that he had already walked Harold through.

"It doesn't matter if I can do it or not, I won't be able to do it in class during the exam, you know what will happen if I do. My cousin can't solve them, either." Harold pressed his lips together as he pulled his legs up to his chest, his thin arms going around them.

Severus knew what would happen; he had learned that two years ago, about a month after Harold first showed up in his dreams. That night, Harold had refused to do anything dealing with schoolwork.

Severus had kept on asking him why until Harold gave in and told him he had brought home better marks than his cousin, and his Uncle and Aunt didn't approve. It was the first time Severus learned that Harold was sometimes locked into the cupboard that was his room for days on end. He also learned that even though Harold understood the material, he would intentionally keep his marks below the level of his cousin, except this time he had badly misjudged just how little his cousin knew.

Blowing out a sigh, Severus picked up the pencil and held it out to Harold. "I don't care if your cousin remains a dunderhead, but any friend of mine has to do their best, and this isn't your best. Now, give it another try. I'll sit here and see where you are having issues."

Taking the pencil, Harold sighed. "You are sounding almost like you say your father sounds."

"No, I would yell a lot more if I was my Father. Maybe cuff you across the head for good measure." Severus rubbed one of his ears before he continued. "I want to see your exam after you take it. Then you had better be able to explain the mistakes you made and how to do the work right."

"Then we can play?" Harold asked, looking hopeful.

By now, they had developed a pattern Severus had insisted on - homework and then play. They had discovered their mutual dreams expanded beyond Severus' room so they would go outside to the nearby playground and swing on the swings, run by the river even though Harold commented about the smell, or throw a ball in the streets. Sometimes they would stay inside and colour or read. There was never anyone else around and they soon discovered that the weather tended to reflect Severus' mood.

Harold sighed. Sometimes he regretted the first night he had thought of his homework before falling asleep. He had found it in his hand when he appeared in Severus' room, but it was too bad the pages he filled in always remained blank when he woke up. "Okay, and I will remember to make the mistakes as creative as possible."

Severus nodded. "Make them so the teacher thinks you are on the verge of understanding."

Harold didn't answer, he just started on the problems.

ō.ō&ö.ö

Harold sat on the floor, leaning against the front of the chest of drawers with a book propped on his lap. He was writing out a bit of information from the book onto a piece of paper lying on the floor.

Severus was pacing up and down. He stopped midstride and whipped around to face Harold.

"Why? Why does it matter who the mother of William I was? Who cares who she was?"

Harold tilted his head and answered without pausing in his writing. "Because Herleva was brave and succeeded in getting what she wanted. She got Robert the Magnificent, The Duke of Normandy to bring her in through the castle gates on horseback! I mean, she was just some lowly village girl and yet, there she was, on a horse. I am surprised she even knew how to sit on one. You should appreciate her ambition and cunning at least. I mean, she had a _Duke_ wrapped around her finger and he was the ruler of Normandy."

Severus rolled his eyes.

Harold tried again. "Then she went and gave birth to William – out of wedlock since Robert and her station were too far apart – and that child actually became a Duke and then King."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "That child also grew up and killed your namesake, Harold, at Hastings. Plenty of reason for his mother to fade away into the veil of the past."

Holding back a grin that Severus' answer caused, Harold tried a different argument. "Then because your father will not take kindly to you not making top marks on the exam."

Severus stood completely still for a long moment before dropping onto the floor next to Harold. "You made a convincing argument. Let me see that book."

Harold wished it wasn't a convincing argument. He was locked in the cupboard without food for making good grades; Severus was knocked about and called a disgrace for making poor ones. He shifted the book so they could read up on the history of the William the Conqueror together.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"How long are you locked in this time?" Severus asked, his eyes searching Harold, looking for any sign that he was hurt.

"Uncle said it was going to be a week. I am suspended from school that long, so I guess he just doesn't want to see me, or have me loose in the house while he is gone to work and Aunt is out doing whatever she does during the day." Harold laid back onto the floor and stared up at the ceiling. He liked seeing the cobwebs in the corners, it was something his cupboard and Severus' room had in common.

Severus turned completely around in his desk chair to stare at Harold. "What did you do to get suspended? That had to be something drastic. Was it because of your cousin?"

Harold shrugged while he tried to think of a way to explain the strange things that happened around him without losing Severus' friendship. Sighing, he braced himself for Severus' disgust and finally answered. "I was running from my cousin at school and jumped behind the bins outside the school's kitchen door. I guess the wind caught me, or something, because next thing I knew I was sitting on top of one of the chimneys up on the roof."

He tensed while he waited for Severus to say something.

Severus leaned forward, searching the nervous face as he asked, "Is the first time something strange happened to you? Something that couldn't be explained?"

Harold focused on the dark eyes watching him. There was a sort of contained hope in them, not the fear or revulsion he had expected. "Well, my hair grew back overnight one time when Aunt cut it too short. And then there was this hideous jumper she wanted to force me to wear, but it kept shrinking..." His voice trailed off as the smile grew on Severus' face.

"You're a wizard, Harold. All that was accidental magic." Severus felt a relieved grin spread over his face. He could at last talk to Harold about the hidden side of him.

Harold shook his head. "There is no such thing as magic. Aunt and Uncle said so."

"And they've been right how many times about things?" Severus raised an eyebrow as he asked. When Harold rolled his eyes and shrugged, he nodded in satisfaction. "Now my Mum, she is a witch. She has told me all about this school I am going to go to. Let me tell you about it."

Shifting so he could watch Severus' face, Harold figured if nothing else it would give him something to think about while he was locked up.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"Severus! You won't believe what happened today!" Harold dropped onto the foot of Severus' bed, jostling the book the other boy was reading.

Severus marked the page and looked up at Harold, taking in his excited face and happy eyes. "What? I thought your cousin was going to the zoo and you were going to the cat neighbour?"

Harold flopped back onto the bed next to Severus, almost crushing the book. "The cat neighbour broke her leg, she couldn't watch me. So, I got to go to the zoo! It was so-o-o-o much fun. The animals, they were amazing to see up close. It is one thing to learn about them from book and see them in pictures, but totally different to see them in real life. I got a lemon ice lolly, too! Oh and the gorillas reminded me of my cousin."

Severus moved his book a little further away from Harold as the green-eyed boy rambled about his day. A laugh broke loose at the gorilla comment, and Harold joined in on it. "So, what went wrong?"

Something always went wrong. It was just their luck. When something good happened, it was always countered by twice the amount of bad.

Smile disappearing, Harold curled up into himself for a long moment before answering. "In the reptile house, there was a boa constrictor sleeping. My uncle and cousin did their best to wake it up by pounding on the glass, but they finally gave up and walked away. I was sympathizing with the snake – trapped inside a small area and unable to leave, people staring at it all the time – and the snake opened its eyes and talked to me! The amazing thing was, I understood what it said! We held a small conversation about people being pains and how it would like to travel to Brazil to see its native land. Then my cousin's friend told Uncle what was happening and they came running over and knocked me down. In all the fuss, I did accidental magic and made the glass disappear. The snake left its home and headed out." Harold stopped for a moment, remembering the chaos that ensued before continuing. "Uncle was livid."

Severus envisioned a tuna sandwich on a plate and handed it to Harold. "How long are you going to be locked up? Are they going to feed you or not?"

"Uncle promised I would not leave my cupboard until Christmas if anything_ freaky _happened at the zoo. I have to go to school, so I hope he will rethink that."

"We should get our Hogwarts letter soon. Then you can come to school with me and Lils." Severus gestured to the plate in Harold's hands. "Eat up, I know it is just dream food, but maybe it will help."

Harold took a bite. Severus was right, somehow dream food did help. "So, what did you and Lils do today?"

He had been jealous of Lils when Severus first told him about her. It had taken him over a week to get over it. Severus had found it funny at first and then he assured Harold there was no way Lils could replace him. Now, he liked to hear about what they did together and he wished he could join them, even if he had to deal with that magic hating older sister. He was used to dealing with people who hated magic.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"I was given a room!" Arms outstretched, Harold spun about Severus' room before finally stopping to look at its surprised owner. "But I wish I hadn't."

Severus blinked. "You finally got a room, and you want to be back in your cupboard?"

Harold dropped into the desk chair. "Yes, since it came at the expense of my Hogwarts letter. Uncle won't let me have it and told me to move into my cousin's second bedroom. He acted really strange."

Severus shot up off the bed, his eyes glaring daggers. He wished could hit Harold's uncle. "How could he?!"

Harold shrugged. "Do you think they will send another one?"

"I hope so."

Since that day, Harold had been keeping Severus updated on the attempted letter delivery: the Smeltings stick battle for the letter, the sneaky morning attempt to catch the postman, the letter-box nailing. The funniest was the letters in the eggs, though Harold seemed to like the ones that flew in through the fireplace. Severus supposed it was because his uncle was hit with many of them.

Harold was late arriving that evening. Severus paced back and forth in his own dream, grumbling. Yes, it was July thirty-first, but Harold always made it a few minutes after midnight. He felt the moment Harold appeared.

"What kept you!?" Black eyes glared at his friend.

"A giant!" Harold grinned at Severus' face and then he frowned. "Or a half-giant maybe since he isn't as tall as you said a giant would be. He was huge! Any rate, he tracked me down to the island Uncle took us to tonight. Broke down the door, bent Uncle's new rifle, told him off, gave me a birthday cake, gave my cousin a tail for eating the cake, and…" he paused for a moment before showing a piece of parchment to Severus with a flourish, "he hand-delivered my Hogwarts' letter."

Severus took the parchment and briefly scanned the letter, a smile filling his face. His friend was coming to Hogwarts with him.

Harold flopped onto the bed. "You would not believe how hard it was to pretend as if I didn't know anything about Hogwarts or the Wizarding world! Oh and I… did find out what happened… to my parents though."

The melancholic tone at the end drew Severus' eyes from the letter to focus on Harold. "You said they died in a car crash."

"That is what I thought. The half-giant said an evil wizard killed him." Harold didn't go into the rest of what Hagrid explained, he just didn't feel like it right now. He would tell Severus later, once he had come to terms with it.

Severus dropped the letter on his desk as he sank into his chair. "Harold – I'm sorry."

Harold shook his head, his eyes closing as he snuggled into the mattress. It was far more comfortable than the floor he knew he was sleeping on. "It doesn't change the fact that they are dead, just how they died."

Severus crossed the room and settled on his bed as well. He knew the moment Harold went to sleep he would disappear. "Happy birthday, Harold."

"Thanks, Severus. It really is happy this time." Harold's eyes closed and his body faded away.

Severus stretched out and let himself drift off into other dreams.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"It is summer still, Severus. Why are we doing this?" Harold pushed the Charms book away from him only to have Severus push it back.

"We are going to be starting from scratch. We don't live in the Wizarding world, so we haven't been exposed to as many charms and spells as those who have. We have to be prepared." Severus ignored the eye roll and just pushed the book even closer.

"Fine. I know you are right, but..." Harold sighed. "I'm scared and excited. Where are we going to meet up?"

Severus looked up from his Potions book. "Maybe near the end of the train. Just find an empty compartment down there, and Lils and I will find you, okay?"

Harold nodded and picked up his book again. He decided he needed to take the time to go through one of his textbooks so they had more to look at later. The worn edges of Severus' book's cover reminded Harold he had a question to ask.

"Severus?" Harold waited for the black eyes to look over at him. "I told you about my visit to Diagon Alley..." His voice trailed off at the other boy's expression.

"Yes, and you mentioned that large vault of money just for you." Severus huffed. He didn't begrudge Harold the money, but at the same time he didn't want to hear about it again.

Harold growled lightly under his breath. "Honestly, Severus. It is just a pile of money, and that is the problem. It is just a _big pile_. I don't know how much is there, how far it will go or anything. It is all I have to cover school costs, supporting me once I leave Hogwarts while I hunt for a job or try to get a higher degree. I've got to eke it out, make it last. When I went shopping, all I went to were shops that sold new stuff."

Leaning back, he searched Severus' face. "Where do you go for good second hand things? I mean, new robes are good the first time, especially since I convinced them to add a few inches to all the hemlines so I can keep using them for a while, but I've seen the boys in the neighbourhood shoot straight up in height. What is the use of getting new robes when I am going to outgrow them in a year? I could just borrow yours and we could go in for the cost together, but I don't think your Mum would agree."

Severus frowned for a moment before shaking his head. "They are in a little crooked alley off of Diagon, but you can't go there yourself. Mum had to take me and she was always on her guard. I know your Aunt and Uncle wouldn't willingly take you. So you can't go. Sorry, Harold. We'll come up with a plan at Hogwarts."

ō.ō&ö.ö

Severus stood up the moment Harold entered his dream. He had concentrated hard on the interior of the Slytherin common room when he went to bed, since it didn't feel right for Harold to meet him in the dorm room where his other dorm mates were sleeping. "Where were you? Did your Uncle refuse to bring you to the station? I couldn't find you on the train, and you weren't at the Sorting. Should I tell the Headmaster to send someone to get you?"

Harold stopped and stared at Severus in surprise. "No, Uncle brought me to King's Cross; I am at Hogwarts. When you didn't meet me on the train, I was afraid your Father refused to bring you, even though I was certain your Mum would. I didn't see you at the Sorting, either. Are _you_ at Hogwarts?" Harold then looked around, taking in the long, low ceilinged room. The only light came from the low burning fire in the large fireplace, small windows, and from the scones along the walls. "Where are we?"

Severus sank down onto one of the green sofas as if his legs would no longer support him. "I am at Hogwarts. You are at Hogwarts. We were not able to find each other at the end of the train, nor were we at each other's Sorting."

Harold felt his eyes widening as he sank onto a different sofa. "I know you exist. You know I exist. We proved that beyond a doubt. The books neither one of us knew existed – A Wrinkle in Time, Shakespeare's Sonnets, Kipling's Jungle Book – we have shared them with each other. Then we found them when we were awake, and they were exactly the same. Oh, and the lessons we taught each other that we could never have figured out on our own."

"We are in different times," Severus said slowly, his stunned gaze meeting Harold's. "That is the only explanation that I can think of. One of us is in the other's future."

Harold shuddered slightly at the utter conviction in Severus' tone. "So, not only am I slipping into your dreams, I am travelling through time to do it." Sitting up straight, he gave Severus a defiant look. "I'm not stopping. You are my friend." Then he gave a wry smile." At any rate I don't know how to stop."

Severus let a small smile curl his lips before giving Harold a serious look. "We can't use names, not that we usually do, but we can't now, not at all. Not a professor's name, not a friend's name, nothing. And we can't talk about big events that would make the news." Black eyes bore into green, trying to impress how important this was. "We can't change the time line between us. We can't change someone's future because..." he swallowed hard, thinking back to what all those time travel stories he had read had warned him, before he continued, "if we do, we might not meet anymore."

Harold's smile disappeared. "So, nothing of importance. Just lessons and general every day carrying ons. We can still help each other study, can't we?"

Severus let his face relax into a grin. "There is no way you are getting out of that."

"Good. How was your train ride? Mine was fairly boring, actually." Harold leaned against the back of the sofa, relaxing now he knew Severus was safe and at Hogwarts. "I almost didn't get to it, I had no clue how to get onto Platform nine and three quarters, Hagr – uh, the half-giant forgot to tell me. A red haired family helped me out though, two of their sons helped to heft my trunk onto the train, and then the youngest sat with me. I was thinking that we would make a sight once you and Lils got there. Both of us with black hair and both of them with red. Then Mal - a blond prat insulted him later in the train ride. That and a missing toad were the only thing interesting things that happened."

"I'm glad someone joined you. It would have been interesting to see if their red hair matched. Mine was about as boring. Instead of a blond prat, I had two black haired ones. They took it upon themselves to deride me for my robes and such. Lils and I read most of the way here." Severus relaxed into his sofa as he spoke. "How was your Sorting?"

"The Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I talked it out of that and so it put me in Gryffindor." Harold frowned as Severus' expression went from happy to closed off.

"Lils went to Gryffindor, as well. Why didn't you want to be in Slytherin?" Severus knew his voice sounded stilted, but he didn't care.

Harold searched that thin face, wondering what he had said wrong. "The blond prat was put in that house before I was sorted. Honestly, if I was in the same house as him, I know I would have done something I would regret later. Also, the wizard who killed my parents was a Slytherin, and I was told bad wizards come from that house."

Severus stiffened, folding his arms across his chest. "So, you do not like Slytherins?"

Understanding dawned at last and Harold wondered, not for the first time, how he could have been so dense. "You were placed into Slytherin, weren't you?" At Severus sharp nod, Harold grinned. "Well, there goes that theory then. Not everyone in Slytherin is dark or bad."

Severus searched Harold's face looking for the truth, and saw the other boy believed what he was saying. He felt a tight knot inside his chest loosen. "Just because I am a Slytherin? Is that why?"

Harold nodded. "Were you offered Ravenclaw? Just curious." At the rolled eyes, he grinned again. "I know, the books are because of your Father's instance, but I know you love learning anyway."

"No, unlike someone I could name, I was only given one choice," teased Severus.

Chuckling, Harold asked the next question he was curious about. "The Sorting Hat sat forever on my head mumbling and such before it agreed to place me in Gryffindor. How about you? How long did you sit there? The hat barely touched the blond prat's head before it yelled out Slytherin."

Smirking lightly, Severus answered. "It sat on my head for what seemed like forever too, but it wasn't mumbling or grumbling like you said it did for you. No, it was laughing manically. It only spoke right before it called out the house choice."

"Laughing? Well, what did it say? It told me Slytherin would help me achieve greatness." Harold leaned forward, smiling.

Severus snorted. "And you didn't think that was good?"

"The prat, remember? I figured you would scold me if I got into a fight and was expelled on my first night." Harold shook his head. "Now, what did the Hat say?"

"_Ah, a second Salazar _and then it said_ Slytherin_ out loud." Severus waited, hoping Harold wouldn't show any of the prejudices he had already experienced because of the house he ended up in. On the way out of the Great Hall, he had stopped to exchange a few words with Lils. Black and Potter were with her and they had made insulting comments.

Harold sat still, contemplating Severus for a long moment. "I guess Salazar can't be as bad as he was made out to be in Hogwarts, A History. Of course, he couldn't be – he was friends with the others for a long time, and they had to know what he was like."

"He went bad, Harold. He left them over a Muggle issue."

"History doesn't tell if he ever came back or not, and we both know that history is like the news, it reports all the bad things that happened, but the good things... not so much. So, if you are like Salazar, then he would have come back. " Looking about once again, Harold took in the stone walls and strange lights coming from the windows. Was that water outside? "This is the Slytherin common room, isn't it?"

Severus nodded. "Let me show you around before you disappear, and you can tell me how it differs from your Gryffindor common room."

ō.ō&ö.ö

Harold wasn't expecting the tense look on Severus' face the following night. "What happened. Severus?"

Severus growled lightly under his breath before answering. "I thought you didn't have a problem with me being in Slytherin, but if you do, you can go sit over there and ignore me."

Harold blinked for a moment and then he shook his head. "No, I told you last night I didn't." He stopped at Severus' expression.

"That was _two_ nights ago, Harold. You didn't show up last night."

Harold frowned. "My last night was the Sorting ceremony, and today was the first day of classes. What was your last night?" He watched Severus carefully. They had been friends long enough to know Severus was touchy at the moment.

"Last night was the first day of classes, today was the second day." Severus felt a small wave of relief wash over him. Harold hadn't forgotten him.

"I guess since we learned we are in different times, we are shifting times now? I mean, we were right in together for years. Why is your time going faster now?"

Harold's question caught Severus' attention, jogging his brain to work. "I guess I am the one in the past and you are in the future. Maybe I am just catching up to your time line."

Harold gave him a scared look. "What if they never meet?"

Something cold settled in Severus' stomach, but he ignored it. There was nothing they could do about that. "Then we won't. Now, you have two days of lessons to go over with me."

"But – wait, two? I've only gone to one day's worth." Harold dropped to the sofa, pulling out his books from his bag even as he grumbled.

Severus grinned as he sat next to him. "Yes, you have to keep up with me. I'm not going to have a slacker friend."

With a groan, Harold started in.


	2. Seldom All They Seem

_AN: Thanks to Yen who cleaned this one up so that it made a bit more sense. She also told me that I better explain something in my AN. So, here it is._

_This story is not based on Movie Canon. It is based strictly on Book Canon until canon just falls to the wayside. That said, according to the book, Beauxbatons and Durmstrung students did not arrive until 6 o'clock Friday October 30__th__. There was a sign in the Entrance Hall which stipulated that one week before the event. On the 30__th__ during the Welcoming Feast for the other two schools, the Goblet of Fire was set out and everyone was informed of the rules. They were then told they had 24 hours to get their names in. So, the champions were named on Halloween._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_Seldom All They Seem_

ō.ō&ö.ö

"So, what did you do today?" Harold flung himself onto the green sofa and prepared to study for two days' worth of material once again. Ever since they had arrived at Hogwarts, Severus was ahead two days to Harold's one. It was easier now, since Severus had him doing so since the beginning of the school year.

Turning his head slightly, Harold took in Severus' expression and growled under his breath. "What did those idiots do today?"

Severus spun about so his back was towards Harold, his hands balled tightly at his side. "Those idiotic Gryffindors hexed my broom, and I didn't know the counter charm."

Harold had long since learned to ignore the tone Severus said 'Gryffindors' when talking about the idiots that seemed to live to torment him, just as he was sure Severus had learned to ignore the growled out 'Slytherins' when Harold was talking about the Blond Prat.

"Today was your first flying lesson?" Harold shot off the sofa, crossing his arms in an attempt to keep himself from storming out in a futile attempt to find the idiots. The one time he had done that, he discovered there was nothing outside of the common room door. He moved around Severus to see his face. "You were so looking forward to it! Did you at least get a chance to fly some?"

Green eyes searched the thin face, hoping the answer was yes.

Severus sighed before he answered, "Some girl giggled for a moment, but yes, I was able to get the broom up into the air. It was as hard to sit on as the seesaw when you are doing your best to knock me off."

"In other words, you weren't as elegant as you wanted to be, but you did it. That shows you are as good if not better than the idiots, you were able to control a hexed broom." Harold squeezed Severus' shoulder before going to drop back onto the sofa. "You had a bad flying lesson, how was the rest of your day?"

"Potions was fun, as was Transfiguration." Catching the look on Harold's face, Severus stopped. "What happened to _you_ today?"

Running a hand over his face, Harold sighed. "I goofed. I know we discussed I should do my absolute best here, but it is such a habit to do just as much as I think my cousin can handle. I blew it in Potions today. The Professor is a complete git, first off. He hates me, you can see it in his eyes, but that was no reason for me to freeze. He asked these ridiculously hard questions – things that I only know the answer to because _you_ insisted on studying the _entire potions_ book – but I flubbed up and couldn't answer him. At least that seemed to make him slightly happy."

Severus sat onto the sofa next to Harold. "Him hating you is a good reason for you to freeze, to act as if you don't know. That is what you do with your uncle and it has saved you more times than not."

Harold immediately felt better. He knew Severus could explain it to him. "My friend, the redhead, I am thinking of matching him. I just don't want to stand out."

Severus searched the wide green eyes for a long moment before sighing. He then pulled the table towards them, his books already stacked on it. "As I said before, I don't care what you do awake, but here I am not going to have a dunderhead as a friend. Let's get busy."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"You know it is not fair that you are on Christmas Holiday and to me it is Halloween." Harold was lying on Severus' bed, staring up at the green canopy. The time difference between them was now almost two months.

Severus looked him over from head to toe before settling on the edge of the bed. "So, what happened tonight that you would rather be on Christmas Holidays instead of getting high on sugar at the Halloween feast?"

Harold searched his mind, trying to find a way to say what he wanted without worrying Severus or giving away anything that might actually make it to the news. "The feast was interrupted. A**…** magical creature got loose in the school dungeons and we were all sent to the dorms. Well, Books … Red insulted her earlier today and someone told us she was still crying in the girl's bathroom when the announcement came through."

Severus broke in, frowning. "And being silly impetuous Gryffindors, you two headed off to go get her and ended up facing the creature?" He didn't know whether to smirk or glare when Harry nodded solemnly.

"That about sums it up. Books might not be as crazy as I thought though. She has something besides books jammed up there, it seems."

"And this makes you long for Christmas?"

"Yep, I wouldn't have to get up tomorrow and think about classes."

Severus sat up and pulled his bag onto the bed. "Talking about class, we have holiday homework to finish, and we need to review your class material."

Heaving a sigh, Harold pulled out his homework and cast a grin at Severus. "I just learned Wingardium today."

Severus just shook his head and pushed a book over towards Harold. "That may be what you were doing in class, and I do hope you did a convincing job of acting like you had no clue how to cast it, but we are looking past that. You can work on your homework in a bit. I'm having problems with this concept in Herbology."

Looking over the material, Harry flipped the pages back a bit, dragged Severus' notes over to skim them before nodding. "Okay, this is what I get out of it."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"You may not stay. I will not agree to you sneaking sleeping draughts from the Infirmary just so you can sleep in the afternoons. I am going to go outside and visit Lils. I have to be seen by Mother and Father." Severus folded his arms over his chest, glaring at Harold who was currently sitting at his desk.

"I'm on Christmas break, you are on summer break... it isn't fair, Severus! This time stretching thing is getting annoying." Harold frowned while tracing his fingers over the scratches on the wood. If he was capable of staying in Severus' head for Christmas break, then he wouldn't have to research who Flamel was.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Harold, you have homework to write and I have summer homework to focus on. While awake. Just because we write them here doesn't mean they are written there."

Harold felt his eyes go round. "You are going into second year. I am going to be studying second year material now."

At Severus' smirk, he dropped his head to the desk. "Okay, I'll not spend all my time here."

"Let's get busy, Harold." Severus laughed at Harold's resigned expression.

ō.ō&ö.ö

Severus looked about, trying to determine what happened. Normally the semi-awake feel he had right now was associated with Harold's visits, but he wasn't in the Slytherin common room, which was where they would normally meet while at Hogwarts. His eyes widened when he realized he was in the Infirmary, and in the bed nearest him was Harold.

Striding over to it, he stared at his sleeping friend. His eyes darted over the pale face, for once missing the clunky glasses.

"Harold? What happened to you? Why are we here?" The words slipped out as Severus settled on to the edge of the mattress.

Eyelids fluttered and then dazed green eyes looked up at him, though not truly seeing him.

"Harold, what happened? Are you ..." Severus left the sentence unfinished, barely stopping himself from shaking his friend. It was clear that Harold was not alright.

Harold focused on his friend sitting on the edge of his bed, taking in the worried face in wonderment. "You came here."

Severus nodded. "Yes, I did. Now, what happened?"

"I … I was stupid, I guess." Harold searched his mind, trying to come up with some way to tell without giving away events that were certainly newsworthy.

Severus snorted at that and leaned forward. "Obviously, but _how_? And I don't care if this blows the whole future thing. Tell me!"

"A thief … yeah, a thief broke into the school, and well, I tried to stop him."

"You? Merlin! Of all the idiotic – why didn't you get help? Surely the professors would have helped, the Headmaster at the very least."

Harold shook his head. "I told the Transfiguration Professor, and she – uhm, she told me the Headmaster was gone. Books and Red came with me, but I faced him alone. I ..." Harold raised his hands and stared up at them.

When Severus tried to grab his hands to draw his attention back to the present. Harold jerked his hands away, half sitting up. He stared at Severus with haunted green eyes.

"Don't touch me! I – I touched him and he – he – died. Burned up or blistered or something. He didn't make it." Harold shrank back, wrapping his arms around himself.

Moving quickly, Severus wrapped his friend into a hug before Harold could react. "I'm not burning up, I'm not blistering. So, whatever it was is over."

Harold dropped his head onto the bony shoulder and let his tears soak into the worn green nightshirt. "I was _so_ afraid, Severus!" he burst out as if he couldn't keep the words back anymore. "I wish the Professor had listened to me and got help. I wish I trusted the Potions Professor, I wish the Headmaster had been here, I wish the half-giant didn't reveal a secret to anyone!"

"And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, Harold. Though, honestly, I think they would rather eat them." Severus ran a soothing hand down the heaving back. He felt more than heard Harold chuckle.

Pulling back,Harold scrubbed his eyes and gave Severus a watery smile. "I think you are right. Poor horses."

Severus scrutinised Harold from head to toe, checking to see if he was okay. Spotting the school bag off to the side of the bed, he grinned. They both needed some normalcy, and there was nothing more normal than him bring up studying. "Ready to start on summer homework?"

Harold sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm injured! I'm in this," he waved a hand vaguely to indicate his surroundings, "place! I haven't heard what my assignments are. Don't I get a break?"

Waving that argument away, Severus leaned against the foot board. "You can just do mine from last year. I doubt it has changed much."

"I don't know. That Potions Professor of mine seems to like giving harder essays than yours."

"Do them anyway, and see if he will accept them. You have had a rough day, surely your Professor will be slightly sympathetic." Severus chuckled at Harold's snort.

"You have a lot of faith in him. Trust me, Severus, he won't care. If anything, he will be happy to give me more work."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"Hey, Severus!" Harold dropped onto his usual spot on the green sofa. "Guess what."

Severus pushed a book across the table towards Harold. "You're behind as normal?"

Harold laughed. "I will always be behind you, but I am ahead of the rest of my year." He flipped the book open and found a piece of parchment. "No, I am back! Thank you by the way."

"You're welcome, for what?" Severus looked up into the smiling green eyes. "And back where?"

"Hogwarts! I am back here after the summer holiday." Harold chuckled. "As for what? For making me study the second year material already. You know Uncle locked my books up, and then I went to Red's home, so I was barely able to get a moment to finish my summer homework. Having a working understanding of the material helped."

The gleam that filled Severus' dark eyes worried Harold just a bit and made him wonder if he had said too much.

"Good, since this is year three for me. We are going to be working on Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Herbology, Potions, History of Magic, Astronomy, Transfiguration, Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. Oh, and Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Severus grinned at Harold's loud and theatrical groan.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"They just attacked you out of nowhere? Where was a Professor? Surely you have at least one who always shows up when a wand is pulled to get someone in trouble. I have my Potions Professor, you have to have someone." Harold fumed as he tried to inspect the worst of the bruise that was blooming over Severus' back.

Pulling his shirt down, Severus turned about so that he could see Harold. "No, we don't have anyone like that. For once, I envy you your Potions Professor."

Harold snorted. "Not for once. You love his assignments. _'They make you think.'_ That is what you said last night."

"They do." Severus gingerly sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Have you taken anything for the pain? Have you gone to the Infirmary? The Idiotic Gryffindors, what happened to them?" Even as he asked, Harold knew Severus hadn't told any of his professors about the tripping jinx that was cast on him while he was on the stairwell.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"What happened this year?" Severus gently guided Harold to the sofa as he watched him carefully taking in the scratches on his face and hands.

Harold closed his eyes only to snap them open again. The image of the basilisk seemed to be burned onto the back of his eyelids. His body still ached from the fight despite the hot shower he had had, and all he wanted was to tell Severus everything that happened. Unfortunately, it once again fell into the future altering information.

"Well, you remember me talking about the idiot Defence Professor?" It was as good a place as any to start.

Severus nodded. "Even though I keep changing Professors, at least mine know what they are talking about. Yours are imbeciles. What did this one do?"

Harry rubbed his hands on his blue striped pajama trousers. The striped bottoms and top were the ones that he always seemed to appear in their dreams, just as Severus was always in a dressing robe covering a long night shirt.

"Well, you remember the spiders," Harold paused until Severus indicated he did, "they were afraid of a large snake that had invaded the school. The Defence Professor was going to run instead of facing the snake. When Red and I confronted him about that, he tried to cast a memory charm on us. I will say I am grateful the Potions Professor taught us that _Expelliarmus _charm."

"Harold, are you saying you, instead of the Defence Professor, went to face the snake?" Severus sank on to the sofa beside him and shook his head in disbelief. "One that the admittedly idiotic Professor was fleeing from instead of facing?"

"No." Harold grinned unrepentantly. He knew it probably wasn't a smart move, but Severus' concern warmed him. "We took him with us. Any rate it was a big fight and I was bitten by the snake." He decided not to mention Tom's memory or the diary.

"Was it poisonous? You must have gotten to the Infirmary on time." Severus' eyes were wide as he looked Harry up and down again, as if checking for a wound.

Harry just smiled, knowing he couldn't say anything about Fawkes. Severus seemed to guess as much for he just sighed and shook his head.

"Let me guess, Red and the Defence Professor didn't quite make it to the fight, did they?" At Harold's head shake Severus fell back against the sofa's back. "That means you are in the Infirmary once again. How are you going to study for exams?"

Harold shrugged and pulled out his school bag. "With you?"

"You are helping me with mine, right?" Severus opened the bag and glared at the hopeless mess that was inside.

"Of course. Fourth year material. Me, a little second year, will be very helpful with that." Harold laughed at the look he received. It felt good to laugh after the huge fight he had had with the basilisk… the very close call he had had and the things he had learned.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"The Divination Professor saw a Grim in my teacup. At least that is what she said it looked like. To me it looked like an ink-splatter." Harold spun about, his gaze ghosting over the familiar furniture of the Slytherin common room.

"A Grim?" Severus flipped open Harold's book, looking for the meaning. "An omen of Death? Harold, you are _not _going to die." He absolutely forbade it, he told himself silently.

"You don't know that." Harold tried not to huff out his answer.

"I know because she said you were. Divination is a complete fraud. Why did you take it?" Severus leaned back watching the emotions play across the other boy's face.

Harold pressed his lips together, refusing to let Severus see the relief he felt at those scathing words. "Why? Because you need to learn something, too."

"Harold, I am studying for my OWLs, I am learning something."

"And now you get something new. At least I didn't pick Muggle Studies."

Huffing as he grabbed his books, Severus settled down into his normal spot. "At least."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"Severus? Severus where are you?"

Harold walked around the Slytherin common room and finally spotted him hunched in a high backed chair with a low seat near the fireplace. One look at the emotional face had Harold dropping to his knees in front of Severus and pulling him into his arms. "What happened? It wasn't the Idiotic Gryffindors, was it?"

Severus' voice was muffled when he answered. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't care, talk." Harold pulled back just enough to look into Severus' face. "If it messes up the future, who cares? You are more important. Now, what happened?"

Moist black eyes met searching green before shifting to look at the fireplace behind Harold. "I… I did something stupid."

Harold waited. By this time, he knew that waiting was the only way to get the complete story.

"I finished the DADA OWL exam, and was out looking over the material in the shade of the bushes near the lake." Severus' voice faltered.

Harry waited again, rubbing small circles on the bony back. He saw the black eyes close and Severus licking his lips before speaking again.

"I should have been on my guard, but I wasn't. The Idiotic Gryffindors attacked me as I was leaving – used my own spell against me, 'Levicorpus' – and then proceeded to - to humiliate me. I thought that was bad enough, but then Lils came over and… the worst part was when she defended me and I… I – I called her a-a mudblood. She won't forgive me. She has washed her hands of me, and I am sure you are going to do the same."

A single tear slipped out from one of the tightly closed eyes and trailed down a pale cheek. Harold tracked its progress as he held still, keeping his arms right where they were. What did he feel about this?

He felt mad at the Idiotic Gryffindors.

He felt upset at Severus for falling back on a term that was clearly derogatory and one that he himself despised.

But he also felt sympathy for Severus, since he did know what it was like to be humiliated and made fun of. The silence stretched between them as he thought his way through his feelings.

"You can leave. I understand why you wouldn't want to remain."

Severus' hushed voice shook Harold out of his contemplation. "Are you kidding me? I am not going anywhere. You were mad, upset that they embarrassed you and that Lils saw you when you couldn't protect yourself. You wanted to lash out at something, anything and you took the most hurtful way to do it. Makes sense to me. Lils should understand too, just give her sometime to cool off."

Severus opened his eyes and took in the sincerity that filled his friend's face. He took a tentative breath, feeling a tiny wellspring of hope melting a bit of the icy despair wrapped around his heart. "You are sticking around, even though it is clear that I am _'heading down a dark path, mixing with the wrong people, and becoming evil incarnate'_."

"Evil incarnate?" Harry repeated in disbelief. "Not even my Potions Professor is that, though he is close. No, that would be someone like a … Dark Lord or something. You aren't there yet, Severus."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"It is Christmas break! I am not taking the tests you just did. No, Severus, I am still in third year - I Do Not Have To Take OWLs yet." Harold stormed about Severus' room, glaring at the taller teen who was on summer break.

"You said you would do them if Lils didn't forgive me." Severus folded his arms, blocking the hurt that still sat deep within him. "She hasn't. The parchments await you on my desk. You can do two each day until you are done."

Dropping into the desk chair, Harold looked at the parchments waiting for him and pushed his fingers through his hair. "She didn't? But, she's your friend. Friends don't drop someone just because they said something when they were mad."

"No? Obviously they do when you are a Slytherin who knows too much about the Dark Arts." Severus waved the topic away. "Get writing, and I expect you to do as well as I did."

Scooping up the quill, Harold shook his head. "Not expecting much, are you? I mean...I haven't attended these classes, I only worked on the material with you."

"You'll be fine, Harold, get busy."

"What about summer homework?"

"After you've passed your OWLs."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"I always knew one of them was a monster!" Severus whipped about, his steps carrying him to the common room door before he spun about and continued back to the fireplace.

"I thought all four of the Idiotic Gryffindors were monsters, Severus." Harold wrote the next line on his essay, scanning over his book, hoping to find something about the potion that would keep Snape happy with his work, enough to pass him at least.

"A werewolf, Harold! One is a werewolf. He tried to kill me." Severus growled out as he flung himself down onto the sofa. Grabbing Harold's work to distract himself, he scanned it over, shaking his head. "You need more information on how the different ingredients interact with each other. This Professor of yours grades stricter than mine does."

Harold grabbed the parchment and ran an accessing eye over his friend. "You were almost killed?"

Pulling the parchment back, Severus spread it out on the table between them. "Yes, but I don't want to think about it anymore. The Headmaster said I wasn't allowed to discuss it, so I will not do so. Let's get this up to an 'A'."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"You just bring your wand up like this and then say 'Expecto Patronum'_._" Harold held his wand aloft showing the motion before turning about to look at Severus. "You have to think of and hold in your mind a really happy thought. One that is so bright that there are no shadows left inside you when you think of it."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. "And I am supposed to have a thought like that?"

Laughing, Harold shook his head. "I guess no one does. Just a really happy thought or memory. Now, give it a try."

"Why are you learning this spell? I looked it up yesterday, and it is one that you don't learn until after NEWTs. Most people can't even cast it. You, as you like to point out, are a third year." Severus searched Harold's face looking for a clue to see if there was some reason.

Dropping his wand arm, Harold sighed. He had spent all day today trying to come up with a reason he wanted to practice the Patronus charm with Severus, and he couldn't come up with one. _'__Wait – his __NEWTs … I can use that!'_

"I thought it would bring in extra points on your tests. I was trying to find something that would be different but useful. I asked my current Defence Professor - you know the one that is actually good - to help me, and he agreed."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"It is the end of your school year, so what big event happened this time?" Severus watched as Harold settled on the floor and leaned back against his chest of drawers.

Harold shot a frown towards Severus who just flopped back on his bed. "Hey! It isn't as if I try to get involved in these things."

"Chasing thieves, tracking down venomous snakes... what was it this year?"

Harold sighed. "Almost capturing a serial killer with a vendetta and freeing that magical creature the Blond Prat got sentenced to death. I did well on my exams, though."

"Harold..." Severus took in the tired look and sighed as well. "Doing all of those should tell you why you are in Gryffindor, and it had nothing to do with convincing the Hat."

ō.ō&ö.ö

Harold sank onto the sofa, his green eyes wide with shock.

Severus looked up from the parchment he was scribbling on, NEWTs were this year. "Harold? What happened? Too many sweets at the Halloween feast?"

"I wish." Harold shook his head and stared at Severus. "You remember I mentioned that some big game was happening at the school, right?"

Severus nodded. "And that only seventh years could participate. As it is Halloween, and we both know that that day gives you the worse luck out of the whole year, I am going to assume you are now somehow involved?"

At Harold's slow nod, Severus' eyebrows went up.

"You're competing?"

When Harry nodded again, Severus growled lightly under his breath. "So, we have our NEWTs to study for and you have a competition to get through."

Harold jumped up from the sofa. "I am a Fourth Year! No NEWTs for me."

Severus jumped up as well, leaning close to Harold's face as he enunciated clearly, his tone low and menacing. "You are in a competition for upper years. You _will be studying _and _understanding_ NEWT material. I am not going to have you dead when I could have stopped it from happening."

He waited for Harold to reply but all the other teen did was stare up at him in shock. "Good, now let's get started."

With a gentle hand, he pushed Harold back onto the sofa and then sat down next to him, pulling his books closer. "I think we should continue with Charms. They tend to be useful and you don't have to track down that Potions Professor to watch you brew them. Transfiguration will be next."

Harold looked down at the book, his teeth worrying his lower lip. Taking a settling breath, he looked back up at Severus. "Thank you. Thank you for staying with me."

"Who left?" The question was sharp.

"Red. Just like Lils..."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"I am not going to take the NEWTs, I am not ready for those – no matter what you think, Severus." Harold dropped into a convenient seat in the room he had found himself in. There was a narrow bed, a chest of drawers that looked to be in as bad a shape as the one at Severus' childhood home, and a long table. Harold was certain that it was there to practice potions on and doubled as a desk.

Severus shook his head. "I really think you can, but I won't make you do it yet. How is your competition going?"

"I got through the first part, am figuring out how to do the second and also worrying about the third. How is the apprenticeship?"

Severus sank onto the small bed and smiled while absently stroking his left forearm. "It is good. Tough with lots of rules and regulations. Master Dankworth is an interesting person, with a lot of knowledge that I wish to understand."

Harold barely heard all that. Eyes narrowing, he moved with lightning speed, pushing Severus' left sleeve up before the other could stop him; Severus was known to hide an injury. Harold felt his eyes widen as the blood drained from his face. There, on his friend's arm, was the Dark Mark – black and menacing, the flesh around it swollen and red.

He sank to the floor, ripping his gaze away from the mark to look up at Severus' face. Dark eyes were scanning his face as if trying to read his thoughts and feelings.

"I take it you know what this is? And you do not agree with it." Worry and defensiveness was palpable in Severus' tone.

Harold nodded slowly. "It is the mark of the Dark Lord … the one who killed my parents." He felt his eyes go even wider as Severus paled. "No - I shouldn't have said that! Severus – forget I said that."

In a tight voice, Severus answered. "No, I would rather know. Are you positive he was the one who did it? There have been many Dark Lords in history."

Harold stared at the mark he had only learned about this past summer. Grasping at straws, knowing that he was most likely wrong, he replied. "True, it is a unique mark, but it might not be his." Shaking his head, he let the sleeve drop back down, covering the skull and snake. "Why did you join up with the Dark One?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at the name, but let it slide. "Muggles, Harold – look at your Aunt and Uncle, look at my Father. I think there needs to be more separation between the two societies. No matter what he calls himself, he isn't truly dark. He just wants to protect us from the worst Muggles by separating our worlds even more."

Harold pulled his legs close to his chest and rested his head on his knees. "What about Muggleborns, like Lils and Books? Should they just die, or vanish, or not be allowed to use magic?"

Severus frowned slightly and then shook his head. "No, the Dark L – One wants them to be fostered by a magical family. I think it would be best for them. They will not be at as much of a disadvantage when they come to school or when working in the Wizarding world."

"So, kidnap them from their families, possibly use a memory charm if he is being nice, and then put them with someone else to raise?" Harry could hear the anger he was trying to keep from showing in his voice.

"Harold." Severus folded his arms against his chest and compressed his lips together for a long moment before continuing his thought. "If this change is too much for you, if you can't handle who I am..." He trailed off as he stared off into the distance.

Harold rested his forehead on his knees and trembled, internally railing at the wrongness of it all. _'How could Severus do this?! How could he go dark like this, evil? How could he be so __**Slytherin?'**_That last thought caused an old memory to pop up. _'The Sorting Hat said he was like Salazar, and this is definitely like him. That old snake left the other three based on a Muggle disagreement.'_ The conversation they had held, the assurance he had given Severus at that time, resounded in his head. _'Once he sees what Voldemort is really like, he won't want to be a part of it. He will leave them, or find some way to escape. I know Severus, he isn't evil.'_

Lifting his head, Harold gave Severus a resolute look. "I can handle it. You are you. If this is what you have to do, then it is what is to be done."

Severus felt his insides sag in relief.

Harold continued, purposefully changing the subject. There was no way he could continue hearing the lies that Voldemort – yes, he knew it was him - had fed his friend. "I am not studying for your mastery. Nope, Potions is just not my passion. So, you are stuck helping me figure out where to get some Gillyweed. Red, Books and I looked all night for another way."

Blinking slowly, Severus wondered why Harold needed it. "You could ask your Potions Professor. I am pretty sure he has some in stock. And Red is back?"

"_My _Potions Professor, remember? He wouldn't lend me a stirring rod unless it was to save my life, and then he would chuck it at me. Yes, Red is back." Harold smiled, feeling a tiny bit happier at the one piece of good news he had. "The first part of the competition showed him I didn't want to be in this thing – proving that some redheads are better than others."

Severus frowned slightly before banishing it from his face. "I am glad that he returned. You could mail order from an Apothecary."

Harold sighed. Too bad that he didn't have time for that, the next task was in the morning.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"Harold?" Severus watched as his friend curled up into a small ball, rocking back and forth on the floor.

"Go away, Severus." The words were spoken without heat. There was barely any inflection at all.

Severus crouched onto the ground, looking at the dark head that was buried into the knobby knees. Every line screamed of defeat, of sadness and depression.

"No." He answered with a tone filled with a quiet conviction. Harold had not left him, even over things that they didn't agree on. Well, he was not going to leave Harold, even if the younger man ordered him to.

Severus watched as Harold's head shot off his knees, green eyes glaring at him. "Now, tell me what happened. Every end of year gets worse, so I am now going to assume that someone either died or was seriously injured."

Harold stared long and hard at him, his arms trembling with the force that they were being clamped about his knees with. His lips were pressed thin, and Severus could read the struggle in the pinched face. Whatever happened was definitely on the don't speak about list, but as usual, he knew that they would, and in a manner that he would not know the particulars. He did his best not to look up any of the things mentioned. He didn't want to lose Harold.

Severus rocked back on his heels when Harold shot up to his feet and stormed about the room. He watched his friend and waited for the explosion; his patience was soon rewarded.

"You assumed right. Someone died. To make it worse, a Dark Lord was the one who ordered it." Harold spat the words out as he glared at Severus' left arm for a moment. The tone quickly changed, self-recrimination filling it instead. "I stood there and watched it happen! I should have done something, shielded him, pushed him out of the way… something besides stand there like an idiot." The last words were sobbed out.

Severus felt like someone had punched him in the gut. A Dark Lord, his Dark Lord if Harold's glare meant what he thought it meant, had killed one of Harry's fellow students. The horror of the things he had seen happen, things he wasn't supposed to see, things that were hidden from the lower ranking Death Eaters, caused his stomach to twist and his gorge rise. He had tried to turn a blind eye, but ever since Harold had commented that a Dark Lord – his Dark Lord – killed his parents, Severus couldn't. Now, this was just another thing that added to the evidence that Voldemort was not who he professed to be.

Pushing his rising doubts aside, Severus concentrated on the issue at hand. Harold thought it was his fault that this person died and he couldn't be more wrong. "No. The Dark One killed – or ordered the death of someone and you witnessed it."

When Harold continued to glare at him, eyes shining with angry tears and fists balled up, Severus waited for the blow to land, sure he deserved it if for no other reason than being fooled into making a mistake. It didn't come.

"I am assuming the Killing Curse was used?" It was one of the Dark One's favourite curses behind closed doors. Ones that Severus was not supposed to see behind. A tight nod was his entire answer. "I know you have not seen this curse thrown, at least I hope not."

Harold snorted. "The newest Defence Professor made the Unforgivables our first lesson. He killed a spider with that curse. Right in front of us."

Severus waved that away. "It is not the same as seeing it thrown at a person. Harold, it isn't your fault that this death occurred. There is no way you could have shielded against it, no way to have moved fast enough to knock the other out of the way and still remain alive. Just no way it is your fault."

Bleak green eyes looked at him. "I am the _reason_ they_ killed_ him. I am the reason_ he_ was even there. We tied ... and so I made sure_ both_ of us got the prize. If I had known it was to face the Dark One, I would have made sure_ both of us_ accepted defeat."

"Someone else had to make it so he could be there." Severus shot to his feet and leaned as close to Harold as the teen would let him. "It. Is. Not. Your. Fault. Get that through your thick Gryffindor skull."

Harold stared at Severus, belatedly realizing that his friend was not amongst those Death Easters in the graveyard that night. Was Severus the faithful one who came when he was summoned, was he the one lost, was he the one who ran, was he in Azkaban, was he dead, or was he one of the ones that Voldemort didn't bother to talk to? He didn't want him to be any of those. Severus had to survive and become someone who had won. Who had lived in spite of the Voldemort. _'If I had to choose, I want him to be a silent one. One that is so far in the background that Voldemort doesn't even notice him.'_

Blinking, what Severus was saying finally sank in. "It isn't my fault? You honestly do not think it was my fault?"

Severus shook his head as he pulled the now calmer teen into his arms. "There is no way it was your fault. The Dark One is a nasty bugger. It was _his_ fault and don't you forget that."

Resting his cheek against the thin warm chest, Harold felt the first true smile in days pull at his lips. Severus just called Voldemort a nasty bugger. His friend was on the road to getting out.


	3. Still Here

_An: Time to test you... can you pay attention to the scene breakers? So, the ones like this – __ ō.ō&ö.ö – denotes a dream sequence. The ones like this – Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő– denotes a time when they are awake. _

_As always, many thanks go to Yen for taking this one on. She has made sure that it is at least clear as to what is occuring... most of the time at least. ^-^_

_Still Here_

ō.ō&ö.ö

Severus fought the growl of exasperation that was attempting to boil out. He understood, honestly he did, but he was tired – not physically but emotionally – and that was playing havoc with his almost nonexistent patience. "_Sit_ down and _calm_ down."

"Calm down? I have never been so angry, so frustrated, in my entire life!" Harold spun about and stalked to the other side of the small room. "They've kept important information from me, Severus. I was attacked at the end of the school year, and they tucked me away, not telling me a thing. Then they turned about and took me away to my Godfather's place. Then I learn that everyone that I tried to talk to had been told not to talk to me. And they still won't tell me anything! I just want to know what is happening!"

Severus curled his fingers into his palms as he leaned over his table. He knew what it was like not to know. Not to be informed. How could you make a good decision if you were kept in the dark about the important parts? "Breathe."

Harold spun about and pinned a glare on the thin, hunched shoulders. "Breathe?! Is that all you have to say – breathe?"

"It is the first step to calming down. You told me that once. You also told me that once you are calm you can handle anything." Severus remembered _that_ conversation. It had been a loud row during his fifth year. He didn't even remember what he had been going on about, but he had been mad _and _frustrated.

Harold blinked, the words which were spoken in a tired voice piercing his anger and releasing his frustration like a sharp needled poked into a balloon. Slumping onto the nearest place to sit, he stared at Severus. "Why am I getting so mad recently? I don't understand. I'm happy one moment and then flying off the handle the next."

Flopping back, he was glad he had settled on the bed. He let his gaze trace the worn boards above him as he took deep breaths, letting the frustration flow out of him and the calmness in the room fill him. He felt the mattress dip and when he turned his head to the right, Severus was lying beside him and staring up at the ceiling. "Is it so wrong that I want to know what is happening around me when it involves me?"

Severus shook his head side to side, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. "Those who are around you, who are sheltering you – that is what they think they are doing – don't know you. They don't know you've had to handle everything on your own. That you've had to guard your back long before you even came to Hogwarts. They are adults. Your Godfather, Red's parents and whomever else you are mad at."

"Red and Books are also guilty, as well as the rest of Red's family."

"They are used to being sheltered. They can't understand the need to know, to be prepared. The adults are used to sheltering, not understanding you are not like their own children. So, they are doing what they think is right – taking care of the child."

"I'm not a child." Harold couldn't help his slightly petulant tone. The snort he got from Severus told him he was forgiven it.

"No, you are not. You are a teen. With all the rampaging hormones to go with it as well as the need for independence, the drive to push every single boundary, and the desire to be taken seriously." Severus waited a moment, giving Harold a moment to think about what he said before he continued. "That is why you are so volatile. Your friends are also going through this, but not to the extreme that we did. They are used to fitting into the mould their parents made for them. They knew limits and could abide by them because those limits kept them safe."

He turned his head slightly so he could see Harold's expression before he continued. His friend was listening and thinking. "On the other hand, though we knew limits as well, they weren't there for our safety, so we learned to work around those limits. We have to know everything there is to know so we can decide if that limit is honestly a good choice. We have been making adult decisions long before we were adults. It was easier when we were younger – no hormones to make us think we were invincible – but once we became a teenager, those hormones started. You are an adult already except you don't have to pay bills, buy food, and provide the roof over your own head. I was that way as well. The problem is that the Professors and other adults in our life don't _know_, don't_ see _it that way."

Harold searched Severus' face as he felt the truth in those words. If anyone else had said them to him, he would have been mad again, but this was Severus. Severus _knew_. "I do pay for some of my bills."

Severus shifted his attention back to the ceiling as he moved a hand over to bump against Harold's arm. "True, you have. You have also had to work to earn your keep in your relatives' house. It doesn't change the fact that _they_ don't see that. All those adults are seeing is that you, a teen that is theirs to take care of, was attacked; therefore, they are overreacting."

Pushing himself to a sitting position, Severus turned so he could look down at Harold. A teasing grin curved his lips. "It doesn't help that you get into more trouble than I ever did."

Harold snorted before groaning and covering his eyes with his arm. "So, they are going to be even more secretive since I am a known troublemaker."

"That is the way it works."

Dropping his arm, Harold looked up into Severus' smiling face. "Does breathing help when you are truly mad?"

Severus nodded slowly. "It allowed me to think through things most of the time. It forced me to slow down and consider all the sides. Just so you know, it does get better. When you get to be sixteen or seventeen, this will look like it was a nightmare that had to be pushed through. When you get to my age - almost twenty - it will be second nature especially since people will finally treat you as an adult."

Harold chuckled as he sat up. "In other words, I have to wait for them to catch up with me."

"That's about it. Oh, and learn to control your temper. There are places it is safe to let it out, and times that it will be useful. Keep it for when it will make the most impact."

Harold nodded, feeling much better now. "Thanks for listening. Now, what has you so worn out? The Dark One being a pain in the tail? Your Potions Master demanding that you slow down or speed up?"

Resting a hand on Harold's for just a brief moment, Severus slid off the bed and headed for his table. "No, just wondering how we were going to get through your fifth year and me through my studies. You've got to start coming more often."

"How long is it now?" Harold followed him over to the table.

"It has been at least three weeks since you last stopped by."

Harold felt his eyes widen. "I'll try."

Severus pulled a book down off the shelf and pointed to a page. "I shouldn't have said anything. Neither of us know how this is working, so we have to take what we can get. Now, you have fifth year homework – which honestly shouldn't be more than a refresher – so we are going to look at this set of ingredients and see what you can make out of them."

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Harry sank onto the bed, staring at Seamus' bed curtains. He couldn't believe he lost his temper that quickly. Yes, Seamus had practically accused him of lying about Voldemort being back, but honestly, he should be used to people doubting him. Severus had been right, they were volatile people and he needed to practice on breathing his way through the anger. _'It just hurts when someone you like doesn't believe you.'_

Scrubbing a tired hand over his face, he flopped onto his back and closed the curtain. Taking a deep breath, he let all his frustrations flow out with it. Calm down. He had to calm down so he could think and do well this year. There was too much riding on those OWLs.

ō.ō&ö.ö

A quick glance about proved to Harold he was just where he wanted to be. The small room still wasn't opulent, but it was slowing filling in with books haphazardly stacked here and there. There were also damaged cauldrons shoved into corners and out of walkways, cauldrons Severus had assured him were repairable enough to be used for basic brewing. Ingredients were neatly stored on the shelves that those books were supposed to occupy, as were the knives, sharpeners, stirrers, and other potion making implements.

Settling on the edge of the single bed, Harold nudged Severus' foot. The foot nudged him back, but Severus did not open his eyes. Harold sighed and lay down beside him to wait out the dream that had trapped his friend. He closed his eyes and soon felt himself drifting off.

Before he could tell himself to wake up, in case he returned to his own time, Harold found himself standing in a shadowy room with two other occupants. It took him less than a second to recognize Severus as one of them even without the normal dressing gown and night shirt and for the first time, he could see the entirety of Severus' back. Checking for bruises out of habit, Harold let his gaze drift over the thin, pale back only to discover the rest of Severus was exposed as well. His eyes widened before he snapped them shut and swallowed hard – that was not the only thing he noticed.

Severus was in bed with another man whose face Harold couldn't see. They were kissing and caressing each other and then – Harold snatched a quick peek - Severus was pressing the other man onto the bed and following him down. The series of rhythmic squeaking of the bed springs that followed made Harold squeeze his eyes shut again and wish he could slip out of this particular dream and back to the room. The quiet moans and gasps were affecting him in ways he didn't want to think about. Covering his ears with his hands, he waited with his back against the wall, praying Severus wouldn't discover him.

Finally, the noises leaking through his fingers hushed after one sharp gasp and one drawn out groan. With his heart beating fast, Harold opened his eyes, hoping to find himself back on the bed – at this point he didn't care if it was his own in Gryffindor Tower or Severus'. No such luck, he was still in Severus' dream and as his friend sat up with a satisfied sigh, Harold caught sight of the other man.

It was himself! Harry!

Not as he was right now, but how he would imagine himself looking like if he was about five years older, the same age as Severus. His gasp of shock caused Severus to whip around, their eyes meeting just as the surroundings faded and they appeared back in Severus' room.

Harold rolled over to see Severus. He could feel himself shaking a bit as he looked into the now guarded black eyes. He wasn't sure just how he felt about this, but he knew he was not going to judge Severus because of a dream.

After what seemed like an hour, the tension melted out of Severus' body, his eyes slowly losing their closed off appearance and his cheeks their blush. Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand over his face and then through his hair. "I should have known you wouldn't run away screaming. Nothing else has made you do so, why should this?"

Harold relaxed slightly. "Well, maybe because this was the first time it affected me personally? That… that was me, wasn't it?"

Severus nodded once.

"When did you decide you didn't care for the opposite gender? Just curious." Harold was glad the surreal feeling of this conversation had a calming effect on him.

Severus shifted slightly so he could see Harold better, as well as increasing the space between them. He didn't want his friend to feel uncomfortable. "Since the end of fifth year, beginning of sixth year. Lils proved to me that I was just infatuated with her."

"Well, are you just infatuated with me then? I didn't look like I do now." For some reason,that actually hurt. Severus didn't want to be with him as he was now, but with his imagined grown-up version.

Huffing out a sigh, Severus sat up and scooted backwards to lean against the head board of his bed, letting his feet stretch out enough to touch Harold's shoulder. When the teen didn't jump or freak out, he relaxed a bit more. "Calm the hormones down, Harold. Of course I didn't see you as you are now. I have no wish to be called a pedophile. Am I infatuated with you? I don't know. I have thought long and hard if it is just that I want to be with someone who knows and accepts me as me, or is it because you are you. The problem is, I think it is both."

Harold sat up as well, leaning against the wall that ran parallel to the bed but nearer the foot board, his feet touching Severus'. "I don't know how I feel about this. I don't condemn you for your choice in gender and," he hesitated, "I don't really care that it was me." Which was a surprise, but now that he had said it, he realized he was speaking the truth. "I think what I am feeling most right now is regret. I am not your age and I am not here with you. I am lost somewhere in time, maybe fated never to see you in real life."

Severus tipped his head back, letting it rest against the wall behind his head board. "Would you even think about me in such away? What about that girl from your fourth year?"

"Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin, older ..." Harold shrugged, letting the implication go unsaid. "I don't know what I think or feel right now except that I am confused because... well, I liked what I saw and heard in your dream." He definitely wasn't repulsed by it.

Severus leaned forward, his eyes intent on Harold. "So we put this aside, you decide your emotions and I keep working on mine."

Harold nodded. "Sounds like the safest thing to do. Maybe we can talk about it later. Maybe when I am of age. Now that that is done, I wanted to talk to you about this year's Defence Against Dark Arts Professor."

Severus chuckled. "They're incompetent, of course."

"Worse than the second year one. We are only studying a book. That is it. No wand use at all." Harold stopped as the last part came out as a whine and drew in a deep breath.

Severus' felt his eyes widening. "What happened? I am sure Books said something about that."

Harold chuckled lightly at the memory of Hermione sitting there with her hand in the air for more than fifteen minutes waiting to be acknowledged and then the conversation after that. His part of it sobered him up. "I blew up, Severus. I couldn't control my temper. That professor _refuses_ to believe the Dark One is about, that anything untoward can happen at the school. As long as we know the theory then we will be fine on our OWLs. When she was asked about the practicals, her reply was as long as we studied the theory_ hard enough_ we will be fine casting."

Severus snorted. "Idiotic is a little too nice for her, but you can't be losing your temper with her. She still has the ability to make your life a pain. Literally in detentions."

"I've already earned a week's worth with her."

"What?" Severus groaned slightly and rolled his eyes. "Harold, you are used to people not believing you, calling you an idiot – you play to that one actually, and other such things. This is no different. Breathe and let it go. Then study."

"I don't know why, but it is different. She denies that the Dark One is out and about and that we can get hurt."

Severus narrowed his eyes as he listened to the words. "You are not mad because she is calling you a liar, you are mad because she is refusing to teach something that will help you … No, not help you, but help everyone."

Harold drew in a surprised breath. "That is it. I am mad because no one will be safe because she refuses to teach us the practicals."

Severus nodded. "Now we've pinpointed the cause, we can handle it. You don't need her to admit there is any danger, you don't need anyone to admit it, actually. All you need to do is make sure that everyone is ready to face it."

Blinking, Harold stared at Severus for a long moment. "How in the world can I get people ready for something they can't imagine or admit is real?"

"Study groups."

The smug look Severus wore when he said that had Harold screeching, "What?! Is studying your answer to everything?"

"Not everything – sometimes it is a potion," a smirk was added, "but in this case, it might just work. Think, Harold, and tell me why they might be the answer to your issues."

Harold frowned, his gaze digging figurative holes through the cauldron that already had a literal one about three quarters the way up the side of it. "Well, we are in school so study groups should be allowed. The upper years should be able to show us how to cast the defence spells. It will help them study for NEWTs and it will help us prepare for OWLs if we work with the younger years, like you working with me helped with yours."

Severus' smile was approving. "Got it in one. Now, plot it out with Red and Books and get it going. You are not allowed to do poorly on your OWLs."

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Harry, Hermione, and Ron took over a corner of the common room before they headed out for breakfast. "Hermione, as you said yesterday, we can't have Umbridge as our Professor this year, or rather, we can't have her alone."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Are you going to take on teaching us what we need to know?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I think we need to see about getting the prefects and maybe the Head boy and Head girl to set up a study group for all years."

Ron smiled slightly, his mind running through one strategy after another, looking at the problem from every angle he could imagine. A study group meant more help on homework. "Not just for Defence. There should be a study group for every subject."

"That is right, we can't single her class out, or who knows what she will do." Hermione pulled a roll of parchment out of her schoolbag and started listing the subjects down. "We need to determine who would be good at running these groups and where we are going to meet."

The Sorting Hat's song from the Welcoming Feast echoed through Harry's mind. "We need to be sure to include _every_ house."

Ron bristled at that. "Even Slytherin?"

Harry nodded sharply. "Even them. We have to choose carefully. If our name were not attached to this, even better. We are known as troublemakers, or at least magnets. Also, Umbridge has a dislike for me already, as well as Hermione. So, that might cause her to have issues."

"What about the work in her class?" Hermione tapped the quill on the edge of the parchment. "That book is worthless." Her tone made it clear she never thought she would say such a thing.

Harry sighed. He had thought about that long and hard before he convinced Ron to get moving so they could meet before breakfast. The point was to keep this quiet, not to draw any attention to himself, or anyone to draw bad attention to themselves. "We do it. There might be something in there that is useful, and a bit of theory wouldn't hurt too much, as long as we are getting practicals somewhere else. We've all done tedious assignments before. Second year comes to mind. Or Snape's essays."

Both Hermione and Ron snorted and rolled their eyes.

"Snape's at least has a purpose, even if they are the most boring and excruciatingly difficult things to write." Ron stood up and gestured towards the parchment. "We need to figure out how to do this without our names being attached, right?" When the other two nodded, he continued. "And we need all Houses involved, right?" They nodded again. "Then there are only three people in all of Gryffindor House who can do this and do it right. I need that list, Hermione."

Hermione scribbled the last set of possible study group leaders next to the subjects and handed him the parchment. "Who are you thinking of?"

Ron just smiled as he took the parchment. He got up and crossed the room, calling out as he walked. "George, Fred, Lee, I have a question only you three can answer."

"And what does ickle Ronniekins need help with?" George's smile split his face as Ron growled at the nickname.

"It isn't for everyone's ears." Ron watched as interest sparked in their eyes and all three followed him out of the common room.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"Severus, why are you just sitting there and staring?" Harold nudged the newly graduated Potions Master's arm.

Severus moved back to the same position he had been at the moment Harold appeared - staring out a window that showed nothing on the other side. His hand was resting on the table, thin fingers gently tapping out a nonsense beat.

Walking around him, Harold leaned against the window frame directly in Severus' line of sight. "You will start talking, and you are going to do it real soon."

Black eyes raked down and up over the pyjama clad figure, stopping at the set shoulders before moving up to the resolute face and eyes. Severus' lips compressed into a hard line. He knew he would eventually tell Harold, it was a habit that was well ingrained into him now. He doubted Harold held any secrets from him either except for those that would lead to changing the future, and even then, some leaked out that was questionable. Letting out a loud sigh, he crossed his arms and shifted his gaze to rest on a spot on the window behind Harold's head.

"I was at a tavern last night. An inn, actually, and overheard something I wish I hadn't." His gaze flicked back to Harold's face. "You know my opinion on Divination."

When Harold rolled his eyes and nodded, Severus looked back at the spot and continued. "There was someone applying for the Divination position at Hogwarts and I ended up hearing part of a true seeing or prophecy. At least that is what some people seem to think it is. I was caught eavesdropping and didn't hear the end, but I had to tell the Dark One. He _actually believes_ it, and now he is thinking of acting on the information. He is waiting to find out who the prophecy is talking about."

Harold felt a chill run through him. He had heard a prophecy spoken once before as well. They were creepy, but tended to come true. "What did you hear?"

Severus worked his bottom lip with his teeth. Just how much could he say here without messing things up. Deciding that it shouldn't hurt for Harold to hear the prophecy, he answered, quoting the words already burned into his brain. "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. … _I was caught at this point, so I have no idea what else was said."

Harold's face turned white as he slid down the wall and landed on his bottom with a thump. Fear that he had made the wrong choice welled up in Severus. "What is it, Harold? Have you heard it before? Do you know what is going to happen?"

Harold squeezed his eyes shut and fought the hot tears welling up inside. It was Severus who had heard _the _prophecy, one that most likely made his family a target. One that ended with his parents dead, and him facing the Dark One.

A few minutes passed before an urgent voice penetrated the panicking chaos filling his mind. Taking a deep breath, Harold tried to push down his emotions and opened his eyes to see Severus crouched in front of him, his face pale.

"What is going to happen, Harold?"

"I can't tell you," Harold whispered. "All I can say is that I have never heard it before."

When Severus opened his mouth to demand a better answer, Harold shook his head and scrambled up. "Don't ask me again! Let's just say what you did had a very profound effect on the Wizarding World."

He almost gave a self-mocking laugh at that understatement.

Severus blanched. "I destroyed it. Bad things always happen if something good occurs. I got my Mastery, so this is my bad thing. I have wrecked the Wizarding world, haven't I? There will be no more peace since the Dark One will wreak havoc. He will find the one that she – that candidate - talked about, and that will be that. There will be no one left to destroy him."

"No, he doesn't get to wreak havoc." Harold pressed his lips together quickly to stem the flow of any other words.

Severus searched the anguished green eyes, looking for a clue as to what had caused him to act the way he had. "Tell me what is wrong."

Harold shook his head hard, his expression saying he wished he could. "It would change too much. We promised, and if I do, I might never ever see you. I don't want to lose you – ever. This might already have been too much."

He wished he knew what would happen – had happened – to Severus after this episode, but he knew he wouldn't. Letting out a long sigh, he pushed all his thoughts away. This was his refuge, the place he had a friend as true as Hermione and Ron, but one who understood him better than those two just because he had known him longer.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and pulled out the only empty chair. "That was your day." Dropping into the seat he focused on the anxious face. "Here is mine. Those study groups are working well, I'm doing really good at keeping my head down, and my hand is completely healed from that quill the Defence Professor had me use."

Severus searched Harold's face before sighing himself. Harold wasn't going to let anything else slip. "Have you looked into the supplementary book for the Defence class?"

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Harry opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, wishing with all his might he had someone he could talk to. He had so many emotions bubbling inside him right now. He need to think, to talk out loud, to yell and throw a temper tantrum that would put any of Dudley's to shame. '_Who would know of a place? Who could I ask and__ not have them question __it?'_

Sitting up quickly, looked about the dormitory room. Not seeing anyone, he called on the only one he could think of. "Dobby?"

The little house-elf appeared near the bed. "Harry Potter called Dobby?"

Harry smiled. "Dobby, do you know of a place no one can get into, a hiding place that would allow me to have some privacy? And maybe be able to practice defence spells?"

"Dobby knows of a room, Harry Potter. The other elves call it the Come and Go Room. Dobby will show Harry Potter how to get there and how to get in." Dobby walked towards the door, and Harry followed him.

Harry trailed the elf to a little used corridor. Dobby pointed to a section of the wall that was opposite the tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet.

"Harry Potter needs to walk past here three times and think of what you need really strongly." Dobby pointed to a section of the corridor. "When a door appears, you can go in."

With that Dobby vanished away.

Harry looked at the blank section of wall before nodding to himself. He would give it a try. Focusing on his need to have a room that was safe, one he could say whatever he needed and toss whatever spells he needed about, he started pacing the section that Dobby pointed out. After his third pass, a door appeared in the wall.

Resting a hand on the door knob, he stared at the wooden door before turning the handle slowly. He kept his eyes closed until the door was open fully. His heart stopped when he saw the room before him. It was Severus' room.

He stepped in, looking about, expecting to see his friend there even though he knew he wouldn't because he was awake. "I wanted some place I felt safe. This definitely counts."

The door clicked closed behind him.

Walking across the room, Harry touched the chair Severus had sat in last night, just staring out the window without a view. He then moved to the window and turned to lean against it the way he had last night. Part of the anger and frustration he had felt upon waking up and walking through the halls had faded as soon as he walked into this room, but the moment he pinned his eyes on the empty chair, he envisioned Severus sitting there and all the words that were trapped last night boiled out.

His fist slammed backwards into the wall under the window ledge. "WHY?! Why did it have to be you? Why did YOU have to be the one who heard the prophecy that KILLED MY PARENTS?! I Love You. You are my best friend! You got them killed. All because you had to be fooled by Voldemort!"

Harry shoved off the wall and stormed towards the empty chair. "He is a monster! Yes, I know you know it now, but still, how could anyone as – smart – as – you – ever be fooled by someone like him? What was he like that he could convince people who THINK to follow him?"

Turning his back on the chair, he stormed to the bed, flinging himself onto the blankets. "If I was there with you … If I had truly been by your side … would have you done it? Would the future, my time, been changed that much because you didn't follow him?"

Scrubbing a hand over his face, he rolled over and buried his face into the tattered pillow. Breathing deep, he blew it out fighting the tears that were threatening. He should have been able to find Severus. Severus wasn't that much older than him, only about twenty years or so. Far less than the one to two hundred they had originally thought during his first year of Hogwarts.

"Would I have been able to find you if you hadn't followed Voldemort?" Harry twisted about to stare at the blank chair. "Gone. That is what you are... gone. I bet you're dead. That is why you weren't in the graveyard in my fourth year. That means I will never see you in real life!"

A sob ripped out of his throat as he buried his head once again into the pillow to block out the sight of that empty chair. "Never…"

Harry couldn't hold back his grief any more as he mourned for his oldest and best friend, chocking on the sobs tearing out of his throat. It was a long time before he finally lifted his head and wiped his streaming eyes and nose with his sleeve. "We always knew there was a chance we would never meet in real life especially when we didn't meet at Hogwarts our first year. But when I noticed you took his mark, a bit of hope slipped in... that you could be alive in my time." He leaned forward, resting his head on his hands as he whispered quietly towards the chair. "I wanted to meet you so badly."

As Harry stared at the chair, the memories of the desolation and the self-hatred that had filled Severus' face when he had thought that he had destroyed the Wizarding world returned. "You know... honestly, you didn't make it worse. One family was sacrificed and I was sent to my relatives, but the Wizarding World got ten years of peace. Actually, except for me and a few other people here at the school and scattered about, they are still at peace right now since Voldemort is in hiding." He pulled his legs in and wrapped his arms around them as he worried his lower lip. "See, a profound effect."

He just wished Severus was here to hear his words. It was a bittersweet thought, but as he stared at the silent chair, Harry let the peace of the room fill him. _'At least he is still alive in my dreams and we can meet there. Perhaps I can pretend nothing has really changed.' _


	4. I know you

_An: Remember to pay attention to the scene breakers:the ones like this – __ ō.ō&ö.ö – denotes a dream sequence and the ones like this – Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő– denotes a time when they are awake. _

_Also, there is a section here that Severus is saying exactly what JK wrote in the books. I am not going to claim any credit for that. It's during a Remedial Potions lesson._

_I totally forgot and now a very apologetic Ree wishes to express her thanks to Yen. Ever single one of my steady readers - even if it is just this tale - knows that this story could not be what it is without her. Trust me and know that loopsholes were closed, angst was added, and just every little part of this chapter is better because of her. She went through this five times to make it the way you see it now.  
_

_I Know You_

ō.ō&ö.ö

"I had a dream." Harold began and paused when Severus started laughing. It was always a treat to get him to laugh, but this was not the time. He shoved the older man's shoulder. "Yes, I know. This is a dream too, but normally I only dream of you like this."

Severus' laughter cut off abruptly. "Who else have you seen?"

"That's just it. I dreamed I was a… creature and I hurt someone. It felt as real as laying here on this bed. The worst part is, I told someone and they found that person. They were truly hurt by that creature." Harry pushed up his glasses to rub his eyes. "Then when the Headmaster looked at me, just before he sent me away, I felt like that creature again, and I wanted to _hurt _him."

Severus stared at Harold. His face stayed blank while he thought through everything.

Harold fidgeted with the cover on the bed as he waited for Severus to finally condemn him for being unnatural enough to slip into other people's dreams. Not once in all their dream encounters had Severus done so and Harold had even stopped thinking how strange it was as the years went by, but now that he had accessed a creature's mind, he was sure Severus would comment on it.

"We have never learned how you are travelling here, nor why." Severus held up a hand, quieting Harold before the words he could see on the tip of his tongue fell off. "I know at least on my side, I didn't really care, just as long as you came."

Harold nodded in agreement, more relieved than he wanted to admit.

"But now, we have to figure out how to protect your mind. Something you don't want is coming in. There has to be some sort of magic that allows them to enter, so there must be a counter. If there isn't, then we need to create one. For once, this time difference might be useful. We are stretching to a month apart now for me, but for you, how long is it between visits?"

Severus searched the scared face while waiting for Harold's answer, relieved to see the fear slowly slipping away.

"I am coming here every other day."

"So, that means I have time to look into things and learn them so I can teach you how to protect yourself. You need to do whatever you can think of to keep those dreams from happening."

ō.ō&ö.ö

"I found it, Harold." Severus dropped onto the edge of his bed as he watched Harold pace back and forth. His revelation had his green-eyed friend turning about quickly to look at him, hope filling his face. "There is a very, very rare branch of magic called Mind Magic, so rare it was hard to find that it even existed. It is as if the Wizarding World wanted it to be forgotten."

Harold sank down onto one of the chairs. "Can you teach it to me? Those dreams … now I keep dreaming I am walking down a corridor with lots of doors that won't open. I don't even know what I'm doing there."

Severus pressed his lips together tightly. "Not yet. I found out that the two branches are Legilimency and Occlumency. Legilimency allows the spell caster to see into a person's mind, this might be what you are experiencing. The caster is literally in your brain. Occlumency stops the Legilimency practitioner from getting in. I am going through as many libraries and book stores as possible to find any information on the two, or at least on Occlumency."

Harold slumped in the seat, knowing the solution was still a long way off. Then he shook his head and sat up straight**,** giving a bright smile. "So, what is happening in your life now?"

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Harry stepped into Snape's office, hoping Snape would be able to teach him Occlumency. It had taken a bit of effort not to reveal he knew what it was back at Grimmauld Place when he was first told of the news especially when he found out that even Sirius had no clue what Occlumency truly was. The only thing that had stopped Harry from jumping for joy was the fact that Snape would be teaching him.

His steps stopped in front of Snape's desk, and the lesson began.

The opening conversation was simple. Harry just had to pretend he had no clue what was going on, which was mostly true. He was hoping he could gather enough information to tell Severus later if he dreamed of him that evening. Anything that could be useful, which meant he had to act stupid and idiotic. Once again, that was a habit easy to fall into. Unfortunately, it had the side effect of making Snape even more irate with him, which set off his own temper.

It wasn't until Harry had settled in his bed that night he finally remembered the last bit of instructions he had received from Snape. _'I need to clear my mind of every emotion, make it a blank slate. I certainly failed that tonight in his office. He kept pushing, not giving me a chance to focus or try.'_

Sighing lightly, he attempted to wash the feelings out his mind. _'Breathe, that is the first step to calming down. Take a deep breath and push out the negativity.'_ Obeying his own orders, he eventually succeeded in ridding himself of at least the negative emotions and drifted off to sleep, hoping to see Severus soon.

ō.ō&ö.ö

"How did the Occlumency lesson go?" Severus leaned back in his seat, parchment and quill at hand, ready to write down any information Harold told him.

"I told you my Potions Professor is teaching me, right?" Harold waited until Severus nodded. "That should give you a clue as to how it went."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "We have come to the conclusion he doesn't like you and will take it out against you at any given moment, but he does impart useful information. Forget the first part and fill me in on the last part."

"I was going to!" Harold grinned at the exasperated expression and ignored the pang in his chest. He would enjoy all the time he could with Severus. "He said it was like fighting off the Imperius Curse, to clear my mind, and to let go of all emotions."

Severus jotted down the advice before looking back at Harold. "How did it go?"

Harold looked down at the floor and kicked at a dust bunny forming near one of the bed's legs. "Horrible. I didn't get a chance to focus on resisting him the first time."

"Hold on, he was actually trying to break into your mind? He is a Legilimens?"

"Yes, he was, and yes, he is." Harold sighed at the look on Severus' face which meant he was about to be cross-examined for every last bit of information he had. "It is not a fun experience. You can see lots of memories rushing through your mind and you don't notice anything else. That part doesn't hurt, but it takes a lot of effort to try to get the caster out. I never figured out how to. Well, once I hit him with a stinging hex by accident, but it stopped the attack."

Severus nodded and jotted another note onto the corner of his parchment.

"That was when he told me to clear my mind of emotions and such. Any rate, after all that – he tried a number of times and I kept getting madder at him. He finally sent me away with instructions to clear my mind of all emotions before I went to sleep."

Shaking his head, Severus looked at the teen sitting on his bed. "You didn't take a moment to breathe, did you? So you lost your temper or almost did so, and then failed at your task."

Harold growled under his breath. "He didn't give me a chance!"

"No, he didn't, but we already confirmed he doesn't like you, so he isn't going to make this easy on you. Did you work on clearing your mind before going to sleep?" Severus waited for the explosion he was sure was going to happen. Harold's fingers were rhythmically clamping and releasing around the covers on his bed.

"Yes! I did the breathing that we do to control our anger. It helped with the negative emotions at least." Sighing, Harold released the covers and smoothed them down. "He never told me how to do it though. He never explained what I needed to do."

Severus looked at the list he had jotted down. "I think he did, but his dislike for you made him act horrible for the first lesson. I think he expects you to want this done as much as he does and will therefore work really hard at what he told you to do."

Harold got up off of the bed and moved to look over the list Severus had jotted down before casting a doubtful eye at his friend. "How can that be telling me what to do?"

"Because everyone empties their mind differently. You might think of flying while I think of the fumes rising over a cauldron. Or maybe you would think of the darkness inside your cupboard while I thought of a blank sheet of paper. Different things make all other thoughts pale and fade for different people."

He watched as Harold's eyes widened before he continued. "Controlling emotions works the same way, everyone does it differently. Some bottle them up; some act, scream, or cry them out; others meditate; still others let them fall like leaves onto the ground … it all depends on who you are and how strongly you feel. Once again, you and I have a harder time with this, but we also have an easier time. We have had years to learn to control our emotions, to hide them behind a facade of calm or whatever emotion will best suit the situation. Whatever will get us out of a situation with all our limbs undamaged and food being allowed." Severus stopped when Harold snorted.

"So, I learned to control my emotions to get food?" Harold made sure to inject a teasing note into his voice. "Now where have I heard of such an experiment…?"

"You learned which ones to show based on your relatives' mood so you could get fed. I learned which ones to show to avoid my father's fist." Severus shook his head and pulled himself back to the topic at hand. "So, we haven't banished our emotions out of our minds completely, but we know how to deal with them and how to manipulate them. Well, I know, but you are still going through those dreaded teenage hormones. This is going to be harder on you." That last bit was said with a slight smirk.

Bristling, Harold folded his arms and glared at Severus. "I've thrown off an Imperius Curse! Not many people can do that!"

Severus just gave a patient nod. "That might be why your Potions Master thinks you can do this. You know how to throw it off, so you have the willpower to toss someone out of your mind. Maybe it works the same way." He leaned forward, his gaze intent. "Any rate, you know distracting the Legilimens with a spell works. I would suggest learning how to cast while being attacked just in case you have problems with shielding. It won't help with the dreams though."

Harold shook his head. "No, but the Potions Master did say the Dark One was a skilled Legilimens. If I end up in a bad time with him again, it might be useful to know."

Severus' eyes widened. "That makes the need for me to learn this even more important."

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Harry stood outside of Snape's office door. He had always dreaded this room, it belonged to _Snape _after all, and that man always seemed to be out to get him. To find fault with him. Staring at the wooded surface, he tried to settle his emotions. This was the fourth time he had come for his _Remedial Potions_ lessons. A smile tugged at the side of his mouth as he remembered Severus' reaction to the name. _'He fell over laughing on the bed and then suggested if I really needed Remedial Potions lessons he would be more than willing to teach me. Then he summoned one of his mastery books and dropped it in my lap and told me to get started.'_

Shaking the memory of Severus' gleeful face out of his head, he returned his thoughts to the door before him. He had been trying, there was no way he wanted to be a snake again and the information that he could gain from that was negligible. He knew, even though it was tempting and far more than he was being told, it wasn't worth the possible repercussions. _'I don't know how I am getting there, so I d__on't know if I can always come back. I don't mind the idea of being stuck inside of Severus too much though, but Voldemort is not where I want to be. Also, Voldemort is coming back with me, it isn't just me entering his mind__. How else am I seeing these things and feeling them? It has to be a two way street. NOT what I want.'_

Taking a deep breath, Harry knocked on the door. He didn't want to be late.

"Come in."

Snape's voice coming through the wood sounded just as dangerous as a snake hissing in the grass near his feet. Harry garnered up his courage and did as he was told. It was time to have his mind plundered and his knees bruised.

Harry decided after the second time of landing on the floor, his hands barely catching him, that these types of lessons should be taught sitting down with a pillow or at least a rug before him. Stone did not give very well when flesh hit it. _'Snape w__ould just say that if I had succeeded in blocking him, then it wouldn't matter. Or that the stone should help me to re__member to try harder.' _

Shaking his head, he stood once more to try again, making sure his wand was still in his hand.

"One more time, Potter. Do try to keep me out." Snape raised his wand. "One – two – three – _Legilimens!_"

Harry pushed at the mind forcing its way into his, trying to make it go away the same way he had thrown off the fake Moody's Imperius last year. It didn't work; Crouch junior was a weakling compared to Snape. When Dementors started to swirl around the edges of his vision, Harry knew he didn't want to see any memory associated with them. He decided to do what Severus has suggested: throw a spell at the Legilimens that was strong enough to distract them.

"_Protego!" _

Suddenly, memories that were not his started flying through his mind. A hooked-nosed man shouting … a greasy haired teen in a dim bedroom shooting flies down … a girl laughing as a scrawny boy attempted to mount a bucking broomstick –

"Enough!"

Harry had been thrown backwards, but he didn't feel the hard edge of a shelf pressing into his back, nor the fluids of the now cracked jars on it leaking into his robes. He barely heard the_ Reparo_ that was sent past him, his mind stunned and totally locked on that boy, the one trying to mount the broom.

He knew that face; he had seen it!

He knew that incident; it had been recounted to him!

He knew that dim bedroom as well; he had sat on that bed and written at that desk. He had practised spells there, and had been chided and scolded by the teenager who was shooting those flies.

A trembling started down deep in Harry's stomach and spread through his body, weakening his limbs and crawling up to his heart, making it pound quicker. Snape was standing in front of him, but no, it was _Severus._ Severus was alive! _'But how __can __**my**__ Potions Professor be Severus? They are nothi__ng alike – nothing at all! I mean, look at him! Sure, he's tall and he has dark hair and dark eyes, pale skin, eyebrow conversations... just like … Severus. But … but Snape is bitter and angry, not like Severus! Severus wouldn't do all those things, say all those things to me! Would he?'_

Squeezing his eyes shut, Harry pulled in a deep, shuddering breath. His years of practice at controlling his emotions came to his aid, enabling him to silence the voice in his head that was wailing in disbelief. He opened his eyes again and watched as Snape – no, Severus because no one else would have those memories - turned away from the Pensieve to face him again.

This time, Harry took in the changes time had wrought in the man's face as more possibilities ran through his mind._ 'OK, since he is Severus, there has to be some way to let him know who I am, if he still remembers me. Then maybe we can call a truce between us and he can teach me how to do this properly. But first, I have to find out what made him like this. What happened over the last fourteen years to make him teach here, what made him so bitter and so callous?' _Despite his many questions, excitement was starting to bubble up inside him. The knowledge that it was really Severus here and that he could talk to him, touch him and be with him had started seeping in under the outrage Harry had felt just seconds before. He was glad when Severus started speaking. It gave him something to focus on besides his exploding emotions.

"I don't remember telling you to use a Shield Charm … but there is no doubt it was effective."

The hissed tones that Harry had always thought of as Snape's suddenly reminded him of Severus when he was surprised or upset. He almost replied that Severus had told him to do it, but knew that Snape had no idea he was Harold yet.

"Let's try again, shall we?"

Harry straightened up, his eyes locked on his friend. That was all he saw at that moment and he almost wanted to tease the man standing before him like he did in his dreams. _'Dreams! __That's it! __He is going to enter my mind … see my memories … why not show him the ones I want him to see__?__'_

"On the count of three then."

Pulling out the memories that he had protected more carefully than any others, Harry waited. He didn't hear Snape in those words. It was Severus who had said them and a feeling of calm descended over him. He could do this. He wanted to do this.

"One … two …"

Harry missed the rest since he was intent on keeping those precious memories upfront. He wasn't going to try to keep Severus out anyway. The force that hit his mind would have been brutal if he had been attempting to stop it, but since he wasn't, he let Severus' momentum carry his mind right into those memories.

"_Where did you come from?" _

_A childish voice snapped at him, but it was easy to ignore – snapping didn't mean hitting, that was more of a growl. Harry looked around the room in amazement. There was so much space here but there was less stuff in it than Dudley's room. Finally, he looked at the dark-haired boy who was tightening the belt of his dressing gown. _

"_Where am I?" Harry thought that was a fair enough question, the last place he remembered was his cupboard._

_The other boy folded his arms over his chest and glared at him as he answered. "You are in my room. Now, where did you come from and why are you in here?" _

_Pushing a hand through his hair, Harry smiled slightly. "It is a nice room. It is bigger than my cupboard – I mean, my room. That is where I thought I was – my room. Uncle shut the door and I laid down to get some sleep. There is not much else to do in there, the light is broken." _

_Harry knew better than to mention the cupboard, Uncle would have a conniption. He needed to distract the boy from what he had said. He walked over towards the chest of drawers and stared in awe. "You have drawers... I have a shelf, Aunt said it was for everything I needed. A whole shelf for me, but you … you have drawers." _

_Too much again. He turned abruptly towards the desk, his eyes coursing over the rough scarred surfaces. He couldn't think of a safe comment for it. He looked back at the bed and was drawn over to it, his hand hovering over the foot board. "Can I touch it?"_

_He knew he shouldn't ask, but he couldn't help it. _

"_It's just a bed. Of course you can touch it. I'm sure that yours is better."_

_Harry touched the wooden rail carefully as he spoke without thinking. "No, I don't have a bed, not like this. One won't fit in my room. My bed is on the floor." _

_Turning about, his green eyes shining happily, Harry tucked his hands behind his back. He was able to touch the bed and not get yelled at. "Thank you. What do you want to do? Can we colour? Do you have any crayons?" _

_The happy look faded to a worried look as Harry took in the scowled face. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."_

_The other boy stalked over to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a small box of worn down crayons. "Here, you've seen my room, draw me yours. It's only fair."_

_Accepting the paper, Harry looked in awe at the number of crayons, eight in total, before sinking down onto the floor. Laying the paper down on the wooden floorboards, he gingerly picked up the brown one to start drawing his room. He started with the ceiling, the undersides of the stairs, and then sketched the odd shaped door and the shelves. He wasn't the best artist, but the image was coming out okay. The boy was right, it was only fair that he should be able to see Harry's room as well. _

_Harry was surprised to hear the questions the boy asked, and decided it was safe enough to answer them. _

Harry could tell Severus had stopped searching inside his mind although he was still there, stunned and disbelieving. He quickly pulled up one more memory.

_The cupboard door slammed shut and Harry let out a sigh before lying down in the dark. Maybe he could go visit the dark haired boy from before. It would be a lot funner. His eyes drifted shut. _

"_Why are you back?" _

_At the snapped question, Harry dropped onto the floor, his fingers drawing senseless patterns on the bare floorboard. "It is funner here than back there."_

"_Funner? Not funner - more fun. Say it right!" _

_Harry peeked up, astonished, no one but a teacher had ever corrected him. "It is more fun here than back there?" _

_The other boy nodded. "Good," he let out a sigh. "What is your name? If you are going to pop up, I have to call you something. I'm Severus."_

"_Se-ver-us? Can I call you Sev?" Harry leaned back on his hands, smiling up at him. Severus was a nice name but Sev would be easier to say. "Oh, I am called Harry."_

_Severus shook his head. "No, you can't call me Sev. It is _Severus_. Did someone shorten your name?"_

_Harry shrugged. "Don't know. Aunt told me it was Harry the day before I went to primary school. Most of the time I am called by ... other things." _

_He refused to tell Severus those other names. Boy, freak, monster, waste of space, lazy thing... no Severus didn't need to know those._

_Severus studied him for a long moment before quirking up the side of his mouth in a half smile. "Someone most likely shortened it. So, do you think it might be Harold or Harrison?" _

_Harry frowned as he thought for a moment, maybe his name was shortened. He wouldn't put it past his Aunt or Uncle. "I think I like Harold. It feels nice. Harold and Severus. They go together well. Not too many S's."_

Severus yanked himself out of Potter's mind as fast as he could, his eyes wide and his heart racing. Potter couldn't _possibly_ be Harold, but even as he searched the green eyes behind the smudged glasses, he knew it was. No one would have those memories except Harold and him. No one else knew about those dream meetings.

He noticed Potter was watching him closely and from the boy's calm manner, realized the boy no longer saw his hated Professor Snape, but his friend Severus instead.

"Professor, I think we need to try again."

Without bothering to lift his wand or give a warning or even realize he was obeying an almost order, Severus entered Potter's mind once more. Like before, he was granted ready access and he almost growled. Harold knew how important this was. Shoving that thought aside, he realized he was being shown one of the seventh floor corridors here and could see Potter pacing near a tapestry he recognized. The memory then faded and Potter's mind went completely dark.

He was tempted to push further, but decided against it.

"It is time to go, isn't it, sir? I have somewhere to be and I am sure you have patrolling or something… Professorish… to be doing."

Severus could read the message clear as day in those green eyes. Harold – no Potter – wanted them to meet up at that section of the castle. It was a good spot, no nosy portraits and not popular with the students. Definitely a good spot since he was fighting the urge to first pull Harold into his arms and hug him as tightly as he could before telling him off for all the dangers he had put himself in over the past few years.

"Of course, Potter," he replied, relieved to find his voice steady. "I am sure to meet you out in the halls. Make sure it is not after curfew."

"Thank you, sir. I'll just head to my meeting now then." Potter's lips quirked before he walked to the door and let himself out.

In the resultant silence, Severus leaned back heavily against his desk, hands resting on the surface with his wand dangling from his fingers. His entire body was trembling in reaction. Closing his eyes, he shook his head in disbelief. He had found his Harold at last, but how could he have been so _blind?_ He had seen Harold at the Welcoming Feast five years ago and didn't once recognise him in that skinny eleven year old, looking around the Great Hall with bright green eyes and an excited smile.

He had only seen Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the offspring of his childhood friend and detested enemy.

Severus turned pale as the memories of all his interactions with Harold for the past five years rose en masse in his mind, each one made up of cruel words and unjust punishments, angry glares and insolent replies. As Voldemort's spy, he had had to show his utter dislike of the boy. It wasn't easy, but somehow he had managed it and managed it well, judging from Potter – Harold's angry reactions.

Opening his eyes, Severus stared at the closed door, his heart heavy as he wondered what would Harold say to him now. Would he shout at him in return, demand to know how could he have treated him so badly after hearing Harold recount so many stories of his nasty Potions professor? Did Harold remember the dream where they talked about his interactions with the students here? Did he know why he, Severus, acted the way he did?

Severus shifted a bit and his fingers touched parchment. Turning his head, he caught sight of Granger's essay sitting on the top of his graded pile. Granger, Potter's best friend along with – of course! She was Books and Weasley was Red! But how was he expected to treat those two the same now, as if he didn't know all the stories Harold had told him about them? And that was something else Harold could throw at him. Severus had seen just how protective of his friends Potter was, and he knew how protective Harold was. Would his blatant attacks on Harold's two best friends end everything between them and destroy their friendship?

Looking back at the door, Severus swallowed. He realised he would never know unless he talked to Harold. The fact that he could finally do so and in person while being awake sank in, making a small thread of hope, one that always seemed to be present when Harold was around, start to curl about his heart. Perhaps Harold only wanted to meet him to request that they continue their friendship like they had in their dreams?

But that posed another problem. Severus was sure Harold only thought of them as friends, but how in the world was he supposed to do this and still keep his cover as Voldemort's spy? He had a hard enough time disliking the boy when he was Potter, but now that he knew he was Harold…

Still, despite the many questions and concerns crowding his mind, Severus found himself fighting the smile from his heart that was attempting to spill out onto his face. Against all odds, he had found Harold… twenty seven years after they had first met in dreams when they were seven years old. His smile faltered at that. They were in actual fact twenty years apart. Would Harold - no. Severus shook his head, somehow knowing it wouldn't matter to his friend.

If Harold still considered himself his friend.

Severus was still for a long moment, just staring at the door, and then he took a deep breath, pushing down all his doubts and pushing himself off his desk. Staying here wasn't going to solve anything so he headed out the door. He had a meeting to go to.


	5. I Know What You'll Do

_An: Remember to pay attention to the scene breakers:the ones like this – ō.ō&ö.ö – denotes a dream sequence and the ones like this – Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő– denotes a time when they are awake. _

_This flows better thanks to the Lovely Yen, who helped to smooth out sections I was stumped on. _

_I Know What You'll Do_

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Harry closed Snape's office door behind him and took a moment to lean against it, closing his eyes. Nothing was more proof that Severus Snape was his friend Severus than the way the professor had reacted to his almost command-like request to use Legilimens again. Harry had spoken like Harold at that moment, and Snape had acted just like Severus. No questions, no scathing comments, just doing it. Trusting Harold to know what he was doing.

Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded to himself. He pushed off the door and headed up to the Come and Go Room. It wouldn't do to set up a meeting with Snape and then not be there. Harry hated to think how many points Gryffindor would lose then. His footsteps slowed down as he wondered if Severus would do that. Professor Snape, the strict dungeon bat who openly favoured his own House and students over the others certainly would and given detention besides, but Severus?

Harry continued to ponder that as he made his way out of the dungeons. Severus himself had been the victim of prejudice and injustice for so many years, how could he have treated Harry like he had over the last almost five years? Even if he didn't know who Harry was? The difference was startling. No, it was_staggering._And yet…

Frowning, Harry thought back to the many incidents between them over the years, but viewing Snape as Severus. Each one seemed to take on a slightly different view; the subtle nuances in a glance, a tone, a raised eyebrow.

It wasn't until he was on the third floor that he realized Professor Snape actually respected Harry Potter. The man didn't like him at all, but he respected him. It was in the undertone of his voice. It was in the fleeting glances he gave him when no one else was paying attention. _'Not that anyone else would know from those looks even if they were paying attention. And I wasn't.' _

Harry continued climbing the many staircases, ignoring the few prefects he met along the way. He was deep in thought, trying to understand the dichotomy of Snape's behaviour. It wasn't until he reached the seventh floor that all the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into a shape that made sense to him. _'The only thing that makes sense is Snape had to victimize me. He can't like me, I'm Potter – the bane of Voldemort. So, he had to openly show that he hated me!' _

He stopped near the tapestry, his focus still inside of his head, but conscious of warm relief flooding through him. He should have known there was a good reason for Severus to act as he had; he only wished he had realized who he was much sooner. '_I should have seen it! I should have known Snape was Severus. I mean, honestly, how many Potions Masters are called Severus? How many Severus' bear the Dark Mark? I was at first blinded by the time lines and then I was convinced__he was dead when in actual fact, he was my Potions Professor for five years!' _

Another thought came to him, one that made a small smile curl his lips._ 'All those times when I complained to him about how strict my Potions professor was and Severus said it made him like the man… imagine that!' _ The word 'like' brought another memory to mind, one that widened his eyes and slackened his jaw. _'I am the one Severus is attracted to... and I am supposed to be deciding if I am attracted to him as well.' _

Blushing a bit, Harry started pacing back and forth,waiting for Severus to come. _'__No. __Snape... I have to keep thinking of him as Snape while we are awake.'_

In the next moment, he heard familiar footsteps coming down the hall. Everyone in the castle knew who those footsteps belonged to. Resisting the urge to look over his shoulder, Harry continued pacing back and forth, but this time he kept in mind the room he wanted. He had learned as much as he could about the Come and Go Room as the school year passed, and at this moment he focused on requesting a room both of them would be comfortable in and would be private, not allowing anyone else but them in or to know what was said there.

The door appeared, and when he opened it, Harry was surprised it was once again Severus' room, the one he still dreamed of. Turning around, he gestured for the Potions Master to go in first and then followed, closing the door behind them. He noted Severus' dark eyes were searching the room, taking in all the details that were present, before flicking to him.

"What is this place, Potter?"

Harry shook his head. "I am not Potter here, nor am I Harry. In this room I am Harold and you are Severus."

As he nervously waited to see if Severus would agree, he stared at the wooden chair. He had been in this same room at the beginning of the school year yelling and screaming his aggravation at an absent Severus and then he had bawled over the idea that he was lost, dead.

_'__But he isn't dead. He is alive! Severus is alive and standing rig__ht here...'_

Without another thought, Harry took two quick steps, wrapped his arms about the taller man, and rested his head on a chest that was rising and falling rapidly - giving further proof that Severus was among the living.

"You are alive." The words came out with more relief and amazement than Harold had intended them to. That they came out at all was more than he had planned.

He glanced up, catching Severus' puzzled look. "I was sure you were dead when you didn't appear in the graveyard last year. Yet, here you are, alive and holding it together better than I feel like I am."

The tight and impromptu hug was all the reassurance Severus needed. Their friendship was going to win over yelling. The yelling might still happen, but that was fine. The air needed to be cleared eventually, just not right now.

Severus stared down at Harold, seeing everything he was amazed he hadn't seen all these years or rather, had viewed in a different light: those green eyes, the round glasses, the thin face, the messy hair. Here in this room and in his arms, it was so obvious to him now.

Giving into his urge from earlier, he pulled Harold tighter into his arms and leaned down to rest his chin against that messy head. Harold was here, truly here, in his arms. Solid and real and they were both awake. Dreams, ones that had never completely faded, surfaced again, sparked by the feeling of the warm body flushed against his. The knowledge that it was _Harold _changed those sparks into a smoldering fire.

Running a hand up Harold's back, Severus let it tangle into the messy hair he should have recognized, but not even the mess on James Potter's head had struck him as similar to Harold. He had known Harold for so long that even though he now knew that Harry and Harold were the same person, he couldn't imagine Harold looking like James. There were too many differences. _'Which might explain away part of the reason that I never thought of Harry Potter as Harold. I, just like everyone else, could only see James or Lily in him, not him as a whole.' _

Pulling Harold's head off his chest, Severus looked down into the rich green eyes that for once didn't remind him of Lily – no they were Harold's long before they were Lily's. In them he could see amazement and happiness shining out. Harold tilted his head then and that famous scar showed itself.

Searching his memory, Severus realized Harold's messy hair had always covered it up. His dark gaze traced over the cheekbones, the jawline, and even the clunky glasses that once stood out as James Potter reincarnated. Now, he could see nothing but Harold in them. The laughter that bunched up his cheeks, the stubbornness of the jaw that was Harold in a temper, the glasses that had not changed much since the first dream. His gaze finally rested on those softly smiling lips. The desire to lean down and place a kiss, one just to reassure himself it really was Harold there, rose in him at once. _'No, I can't. He is still underage. Harold is a fifth year. Nothing... not one thing … can happen between us until he is of age. Harold hasn't even said if he was interested in me when he saw my dream that one time.__'_

Pushing Harold's head into his chest once again, he tightened his arms before letting his friend go. With a sigh, he crossed the room and dropped into the old wooden chair and looked at the teen. "Harold, you still haven't answered my question."

The cheeky smile flashed his way was one he knew very well.

"Dobby, he is a house elf, showed it to me. It is called the Come and Go Room. It only appears if you pace that section of the corridor three times while thinking hard about what you need."

Severus looked about the room wondering what Harold had been thinking of to bring up his old room. Harold answered his question before he could ask.

"I wanted some place we both could be comfortable in and where no one could disturb us. Somewhere completely private. This is what it came up with."

Severus watched as Harold took his usual spot on the bed. Memories of dreams from so long ago flashed through his mind. "You are still visiting me in your dreams, aren't you?"

Harold nodded. "I spoke to you here two nights ago."

Severus looked about the room again before returning his attention back to his friend. The dark student robes stood out like a sore thumb, he was too used to seeing Harold in the blue striped pyjamas. "What did we talk about?"

He almost rolled his eyes at the hurt that flashed through those green eyes. "It was years for me, Harold."

Severus watched as Harold leaned against the wall, those green eyes studying him carefully before their owner spoke.

"We were talking about Occlumency, you were still trying to find anything about it you could. So far all you had come up with was the names. I guess you did find more. Do I keep visiting you?"

"I did, and yes, you do." Severus sat forward quickly, his expression serious. "You can't tell my dream version who I will become. You cannot give an inkling or a clue of what is to come."

A sigh slipped out as Harold answered, "Okay. You know that is going to be hard, right?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, knowing that Harold would understand it. He smirked when the teen laughed.

"You're right, when do we do something the easy way?" Harry replied, still grinning.

"But this part is going to be harder," Severus told him. "You know we cannot act differently. I still have to hate Potter and you still have to distrust and despise – or maybe hate - Snape." When Harold nodded, Severus settled back into the chair. "I still cannot believe I didn't recognize you. I know it would have made the past few years harder on both of us – playing as if we had no clue who the other was, as if we didn't like each other – but I still should have known it was you."

Harold snorted and rolled his eyes. "You didn't expect it to be me. We've talked about people seeing what they want to see, well, neither of us wanted to see the other as someone we didn't like. There was no way _My Potions Professor _could be my friend Severus even when I whittled down the number of years separating us due to you joining the Dark One. Even at the end of last year, when Snape confronted Fudge with the Dark Mark and Dumbledore called him Severus, I just discounted it. I mean, he was cruel for no reason, and he was always out to get me." He quickly put up a hand when Severus opened his mouth to speak. "No - I think I understand why now – you are a spy and you can't have your cover blown so you had to go after me. I can forgive that. Especially as I know it wasn't Harold you were mad at. That would have been harder to deal with."

Severus swallowed and looked down at his hands before moving his gaze to the mark hidden on his arm. "I am the reason your parents were killed. The night I told you the prophecy, you realized that then didn't you? That is why you went so pale and refused to tell me anything else." His voice was so quiet he wasn't sure if Harold heard him. "I can't understand why you don't hate me. You haven't even yelled at me."

The unexpected sound of laughter made Severus' head snap up and cut off the rest of what he was going to say. His eyes went wide at the sight of Harold laughing.

Catching his breath after a few moments, Harold explained. "That was the first time I came here. I asked Dobby for a place I could hide in that would allow me complete privacy. This is what I found when I thought long and hard for a room that was safe. I yelled at the you I imagined sitting in that chair. Every word I wanted to say to you that evening, demanding why it was you who had to hear the prophecy and fussing at you for taking the Dark Mark, poured out and in the end I realized the one thing I was maddest about was that I would never see you because I was positive you were dead."

Severus stared at him as he digested the words. Well, that would explain the hug Harold had given him earlier.

"But why are you happy I am alive? I've treated you like the scum on the underside of the slide at the playground, I am the reason that you are with your Aunt and Uncle, I am the reason that the Dark One is hunting you down...all very good reasons to end your friendship with me."

His heart squeezed when Harold shook his head and smiled.

"Because I know what is it like to believe you are dead. I know what it is like to wish with all my strength that I could see you in real life just for a minute. But most of all, because_ I know you._ I can understand why you did what you did. You are my best friend! I can see it in your eyes, in your face, the slump of your shoulders. I can hear it in your tone, in your growls, and scolds. Thinking back, I am amazed that I was never suspicious. I was blind as a bat. Maybe I just discounted Professor Snape as you since when we first met as a student and professor I already knew you and we thought that centuries were between us. So, since I had already dismissed the idea, it never popped back. Not until I saw those memories earlier."

Severus searched Harold's face, looking for the truth and saw it reflected in his eyes. "Why did you use a shield charm? We have not discussed using spells to end Legilimency."

"We did in our dreams. It was a long time ago for you, but for me, not that long ago. I used it because you were bringing up dementors. I don't want to remember anything with those creatures, so I did what I could to stop you, but I didn't want to hurt you either. I am surprised it sent me past your shields."

Severus nodded slowly. That made sense to him and the fact that Potter was Harold explained how he got past his shields. His mind wasn't afraid to let Harold in. _'No, it welcomes him actually.'_ The shield spell hadn't been an attack so his barriers hadn't been on the defensive either. So the combination of _who_ and _what_was what allowed Harold through. Severus leaned back into the chair as he explained his thoughts to Harold. It felt so right to be doing so once again. Almost like no time had passed.

Harold suddenly leaned forward. "So, for my Occlumency … is there anything I can be focused on? Anything I can read?"

A smirk curled Severus' lips. "Do what I have been telling you to do. Practice on clearing your mind. Breathe out your frustrations and anger and just let the other emotions drift. I did find a book, but there is no way I can lend it to you. It would be too noticeable, and even the Headmaster doesn't know I have it."

Harold sagged back onto the bed. "So, nothing easy to study. Okay. I'll keep practising. I have been, has it helped at all?"

The smirk turned into a true smile. "It has. You need to keep at it though. It is harder for a teenager to learn this than an adult."

"I know, hormones and such. I'm trying."

Severus nodded, his eyes glinting. "It is noticeable to those of us who are paying attention."

Rubbing his eyes under his glasses, Harold gave a wry grin. "So, how has the last fourteen years been, Severus?"

Severus shook his head at the standard change the topic question. "That would take too long to tell tonight. There is such a thing as a curfew at this school. I know you have long since forgotten that it existed, but it is real."

Harold laughed. To hear such a Snape-like thing said with Severus' tone was funny, even more so since it didn't sound wrong.

"Honestly, Harold, you never laughed at my scolds before." Another smile tugged at Severus' lips.

"Your scolds were never said with quite that tone before either. So, fourteen years is a little much for now. How about the last one then? You are spying on the Dark One,aren't you? That is what the Headmaster asked you to do last year, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was." Severus' smile turned into a slightly teasing one although it didn't reach his eyes. "I am doing a decent job at it … my entire year so far, excluding the Worse-Than-Idiotic-Defence Professor, dealing with two of the Idiotic Gryffindors, the usual dunderheads who won't learn, and of course The Trio of Pain, has been fairly easy. Just a temperamental Dark Lord and a touchy Headmaster, nothing new there."

Puffing up in pretend affront, Harold glared at the dark robed man. It was strange to see Severus in something besides the nightshirt and dressing gown. "Trio of Pain!? Books, Red and I are the Trio of Pain? Honestly, I believe this is one name we have to rethink."

"I think it is fitting." Even as the words left his mouth, Severus sighed. "Our time is up, Harold. You need to leave now if you are going to make it back to the tower before curfew."

Echoing Severus' sigh, Harold pushed himself off the bed and trudged to the door, mirth evident his body posture. "But I don't know what curfew is, Severus. Why should I worry about it?"

Severus laughed at that, he had missed Harold sorely the last several years. "Because I do, and I am_ your Potions Professor_, the one that gets you in trouble for no reason at all. This would be a perfect reason."

Harold turned about and caught sight of Severus still in the wooden chair, watching him with his laughter still brightening his eyes. It was a sight worth a second look; how many saw Professor Snape smile, let alone laugh?

Leaning against the door, Harold sobered up. "You realize you did have a profound effect on the Wizarding world, don't you? When you told the Dark One the prophecy. It was a good one, you brought it a temporary peace. See, not a bad thing."

Again, Harold noted Severus searching his face as those words slowly sank in.

"The bad thing was that I sentenced your parents to death with that prophecy, and you to being hurt."

Harold quirked up one side of his lips. "But because of that I was able to meet you, so I guess it balances out. I got to know you, to be your friend, to care for you. I don't remember my parents, as much as I would love to. So given my options, I chose you, Severus."

He opened the door and headed out.

Severus sat for a moment longer, staring at where Harold had stood and wondering if he had heard right. Hoisting himself to his feet, he followed his friend.

It hit him the moment he stepped into the hall. _Harry Potter_ was_ Harold_. Harold _wasn't_ a dunderhead, so _Potter _wasn't one. Lengthening his stride he tracked the teenager down.

"Potter!"

Harry spun about, and stared up at Professor Snape. "Sir?"

Severus let his gaze rest on Potter for a moment without speaking. There was no need to change their patterns. Finally, when he could tell Potter was starting to get upset, he spoke. "Since you are taking _Remedial Potions,_ your potions grades should start improving. Your essays should be everything I've _dreamed_ of."

With that he spun on his heel and headed back towards his dungeon. He knew Harold would understand his message.

Harry blinkedas Professor Snape strode down the hall, staring at the robe billowing behind him. When the message in that parting statement sank in, his eyes widened. Snape knew what he was capable of. He also knew Harry had, just by sheer association, partially studied for a Potions Mastery and most definitely had studied for his NEWTs. _'Can't forget he made me take my OWLs already. He wants Harold's work, not Potter's work, but my grades can't be noticeable different. Someone will think I am cheating. Hold on, that is why he mentioned the Remedial Potions. Besides,__that man is as Slytherin as they come, he will figure it out.'_

The last echo of Snape's footsteps faded. It was at that moment that Harry remembered he had a potions essay due tomorrow. Rushing back to Gryffindor Tower, he knew he had to rewrite everything he had done.

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

Severus closed his quarter's door, his eyes searching the darkness clinging about him. For one moment, he heard the sound of Harold calling a greeting to him. Shaking his head, he gestured with his wand and the lights came up, showing him the sofa was empty as were the chairs near the fireplace.

_'Harold is Potter.' _Those three words had been echoing through his brain the entire walk back here as the reality settled in.

Striding across the room, he threw himself into his seat and stared at the other one. Albus might think the wing-backed chair was his seat, none of the other staff members used it when they visited, but in all honesty it was there because of Harold. The first night Harold had appeared in this room, he had looked about and commented that there was a problem. _'And when I asked what was wrong, he had said there were no chairs, only a sofa. That my room always had at least one chair. He then looked at me, grinned and asked for two so he could have one as well.'_

As he pushed that memory away, he realized Potter didn't even have that memory yet. _'But he is catching up. Soon... it should be soon.'_ He spent the next few moments trying to remember what Harold had told him last time he had visited. The last visit was the summer before Potter had first started Hogwarts. That was the summer Severus had strengthened his Occlumency shields and hadn't quite dared to let them drop. Not since Quirrell was shown to have the Dark Lord inside of his skull.

Leaning back into his seat, he closed his eyes, a soft smile playing about his lips. For some reason that he still could not fathom, Harold had once again accepted him.

ō.ō&ö.ö

Harold walked in the small room and stared at Severus. The man looked younger and was once again in his nightshirt and dressing gown which assured Harold that this was a dream. _'I can't say anything. I can't give a thing a way.'_ Shifting his attention to the books scattered about, he spotted a very thin one sitting on the table. The cover was worn and tattered and the pages seemed to be in a worse condition. He was sure even Madam Pince would have tossed that one into a rubbish bin.

"What is that book?" Harold crossed the room surprising Severus from whatever he was studying. "A rare potions book you found in one of those shops you still tell me I can't go to?"

"Good evening, Harold." Severus touched the book in question before pulling out a spare roll of parchment and writing tools. "This book is on Mind Magic."

Harold stopped next to the table, his fingers hovering above the book, his eye meeting the black ones. Snape had told him he had found a book and this was it. His heart leaped._ He could see it here and study it here! _"So, I guess I have more homework."

Severus smirked lightly. "Yes, you do. Now start reading and writing out any questions you have."

Harold couldn't wait to tell Severus from his current time about this, then he realized that he already knew. Pulling his chair over closer to the book, he settled down to get started. The moment he gingerly flipped the cover open, he groaned. "Severus, what language is this in?"

Severus looked up from the stack of parchments he was taking notes from. Amusement was plain to see in his eyes. "Latin."

Harold groaned again as he scanned the pages. "You know I never quite got the hang of Latin. I can pronounce it, but to read it like this... and this doesn't even really _look _like Latin. At least not what we studied."

Severus sighed. "That is right, you are still far behind."

Harold glowered. "I can't help it if my time is not as fast as yours."

"I know, Harold. I know." Severus gestured towards the book. "It is in Ancient Latin. Copy it down and maybe you can remember it more when you wake up."

With a sigh, Harold got ready to start copying the words. Maybe he could find a book to help his translate it in the library. "You know I won't remember this word for word."

Resting a hand on Harold's arm, Severus nodded. "But it is better than nothing. When you get the first chapter done, I will try to explain what I've figured out from it."

The scratching of quills gave away to a conversation that basically mirrored what Snape had been telling him to do.

Leaning back in his seat, Severus looked pleased. "That was pretty good. Now, how has school been?"

Harold started talking about the past couple of days while trying to do his best not to give away a thing. When he had succeeded in getting through the latest Occlumency lesson, telling Severus that his Potions Master actually said he was doing okay, he asked. "How have things been for you?"

"I am about to start my new job. Next time you pop in, we will both be at Hogwarts. The Dark One wants me as a spy there, and the Headmaster hired me as a Potions Master. Little does the Dark One know I am now on the side of the Light, and am spying on him." Severus smiled slightly at Harold, positive that his friend would be happy with this change.

Harold did his best to act surprised. "Why are you a spy now? What happened?"

"The prophecy was about Lils," Severus' hands clenched into fists, "and I asked the Headmaster to protect her. So, in return for this, I am spying for him. I trust he will keep her safe as can be."

A ripple of shock ran through Harry. Lils was _Lily Potter_ – talk about things he should have known. He was very glad he could express shock right now, he just had to word it right. "_Lils?_ Are you sure, Severus? Why would the Dark One want her? The Prophecy said 'he'."

Severus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Because he is after her son."

Ò.Ô&Ő.Ő

The moment he woke up, Harry jotted down everything he could remember from the book while mumbling under his breath. "Blasted Ancient Latin." Finishing up, he rolled the parchment up and tucked it away into the bottom of his trunk.

Later on as he, Ron and Hermione were at the Gryffindor table enjoying breakfast, Harry looked around and felt a small smile tug at his lips. There were random groups of people at each of the tables, the different houses mixed as the study groups met up to confirm a change in schedule, ask a final question or two, or just to talk to someone they had befriended in those meetings. Even the Slytherins were scattered throughout the Great Hall, and at least one member from the other houses were at their table.

Shifting his gaze to the High Table, Harry looked to see how Snape was taking this. Just as every morning since the study groups had truly settled in, Snape glared about the room as if looking for one student to step out of line. Studying his face, Harry decided instead of hoping for a reason to take points, Snape was maintaining the peace. No one would dare to act out while he looked that upset. Well, except him, and he wasn't going to.

His gaze travelled to the Pink Toad. _'Too bad I couldn't suggest that nickname to Severus. It would have given too much away, though we could use it when I catch up... or when we get a moment alone.'_ Umbridge was glowering, looking as if she upset about something. Harry took a couple of minutes to try to figure out what it was, but gave up once again. He hadn't learned what it was the last couple of months, he doubted he would be able to do so today. Besides, he had too much on his plate as it was.

Potions was first thing that morning, and Harry walked into the classroom with a touch of trepidation. He knew he had to act the same as always, but somehow he had to produce a potion Severus would approve of.

Hermione and Ron sat next to him as he settled at their normal table. Pulling out his homework, he set it on the edge of the table next to theirs. For the first time in a very long time, he was actually worried about the grade on his essay. It was at that moment he realized the Remedial Potions excuse for better grades would not work with those two. They knew what he was actually learning with Snape in the evening.

Standing outside his classroom, Severus took a deep breath before throwing the door open. He let it thud shut behind him while he glanced about the room, a spark of happiness going through him when he saw Potter. Letting it settle deep inside of him, he strode to the front of the class. It was time to get this class started.

ō.ō&ö.ö

Harold looked about the room he found himself in. The room was about the size of his relatives' living room, but it felt far more comfortable here than there. _'Might have to do with the fact I know Severus is here somewhere.' _

A smile curled his lips when he spotted Severus coming out of a side door, dressing gown still being shrugged over his nightshirt. _'I wonder if Severus still wears a nightshirt to bed even now?'_ He looked down at the blue striped pyjamas he was wearing. They were not what he wore to bed, not since the first time they met. He pictured asking his professor what he wore to bed, and figured it was not quite something to bring up where others could hear. They might make the wrong assumptions. _'Or maybe the right ones...'_ Harry tore his eyes away from the thin form that was now being covered by the dressing gown and looked about the room once again.

"So, this is how the professors live. Can I see the rest of the rooms?" Harry couldn't refrain from looking at the bedroom door.

Severus shook his head. "No you can't, and all the professors' rooms are different. We can put on our own touches on them."

"Oh!" Harold looked about and gasped in mock outrage. "Since you have a problem here, it is a good thing you are able to repair it."

He watched as Severus looked around, a puzzled expression on his face. "There are no chairs! Your first bedroom had the desk chair, of course the common room had chairs, and then your flat had two chairs."

Harold beamed at Severus. "At least you can fix this. One chair near the fireplace, and everything will be perfect." He stopped to envision what it would look like before turning back to Severus, giving him a hopeful look. "Two, maybe? One for me?"

Shaking his head slightly, Severus crossed over to the sofa and pointed at it. "You can sit there." Once Harold settled he continued. "Tell me about your day and let's review over the topics you are supposed to be studying. Then you can continue working with the Mind Magic book."

The look that crossed over Harold's face gave him pause. "What is it? Are you having problems remembering the words when you wake up?"

"No, not really. It's that I don't have a book to help translate it. I can't find one for Ancient Latin in the Library, it was not on my book list so I didn't spend money on one, and if I order one it will raise lots of questions."

Severus compressed his lips together as he contemplated the problem. "Then you will have to borrow mine while you are here, but that means this is going to take longer. Get what you can copied and then attempt to translate. But first, our days."

Nodding, Harold raised an eyebrow. "So, how are you enjoying being a professor?"

Severus let out a slow, almost cruel smile. "I have decided, since I am a double spy here, I need to be cruel, almost uncaring, and favour only the Slytherins. Therefore, I am going to act just like how you have described your Potions Professor. It should be fun."


End file.
